With Metro Vancouver gas prices hitting new highs, it appears some desperate people are hitting new lows in a bid to fill their tank.
In Maple Ridge, at least one resident says that took the form of a thief literally drilling into his gas tank to get at the fuel.
John Peters said it happened Sunday night. He’d parked his truck with a quarter tank of gas — plenty, he thought, to get to work in Aldergrove and back.
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But on his way home the gas light went off, so he stopped to tank up.
“Put $130 gas in it … I come home, hit the Golden Ears Bridge, I notice there’s half a tank of gas left in my tank. So I’m thinking something’s going on,” he said.
“Sure enough three-eighths of an inch hole in my gas tank.”
Peters said he hadn’t reported the incident to the RCMP.
Ridge Meadows RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Brenda Gresiuk said recent watch reports didn’t show a noticeable uptick in gas thefts.
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But she said if it does happen, people need to report it so police are aware.
“It’s really important,” she said.
“If you see something, say something.”
Peters used a grommet to rig up a home made plug, but said he’ll eventually have to get the damaged fixed.
That could be a pricey endeavor, with a gas tank costing as much as $1,000 — or at least the $300 deductible, if claimed under insurance.
But what grinds Peters’ gears is that the thief barely made off with any fuel.
“They got about two or three litres of gas,” he said.
“But you do that seven or eight times and you’ve got a full tank.”