According to PhillyBurbs auto parts suppliers are rapidly selling out of locking gas caps, which were originally invented in the 1930s because of gas siphoning thefts during the Great Depression.
According to the article, "I've never seen anything like this before. These things were collecting dust," said Brian Drake, who works at Bridgeville Auto Parts. "We can't even get them from suppliers. We've placed a couple orders. We're still waiting for them."
Drivers are reporting their gas tanks have been siphoned, or that they want to prevent potential siphoning due to ever-rising gas prices. Some stores are having difficulty getting more units in stock.
I actually had a locking gas cap on my 2001 Dodge Viper, but after about 6 months it started throwing an emissions light. Scared the bejeevus out of me. Thought for sure I had an expensive car repair ahead of me. Fortunately, Chuck Tator, a.k.a "The Viper Wizard" who runs the oldest independent Dodge dealership (1914) in the world and even drives a Viper of his own, calmed by fears when he asked if I recently installed a new gas gap. Sheeplishly, as though I was expecting to be scolded by the great Viper Wizard for putting on an aftermarket uncertified $20 product, I told him "yes". He immediately knew that was the cause of the problem and once I put the original gas gap on, the warning light went away. He said it had something to do with the locking gas gaps not creating enough suction for the fuel vacuum pump. Beats me why it worked for 6 months without a problem though.
Speaking of cars, I was thinking about getting an SUV actually since my family is growing by one come April 2006. Damn, now what I do with gas prices going higher and higher? How am I suppose to fit my wife, me, two labrador retrievers, and our first baby due in April in a Mitsubishi 3000GT, Dodge Viper, or my wife's Taurus? None of these vehicles are big enough and I'm determined that my next car have at least 30MPG fuel economy.
Why haven't they invented an affordable hybrid electric / gas SUV? I'd buy one in a second. Seems like all the hybrids are small compact cars. <sigh>
Locking gas caps prevent gas theft
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Tom,
Check out the Ford Escape hybrid and the Toyota Highlander hybrid. A friend of mine just got the Highlander hybrid and he loves it. (I hate to recommend a foreign car, but I suspect the Toyota will be more reliable and have better resale value, despite its high initial price.)
Chris
Midwest Gas Price Investigation - Investigation Likely To Continue
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued an interim report to Congress on its investigation into Midwest gas price increases that was cited at the reasons that the FTC launched the investigation. It also provides a status report on the continuing investigation, including progress and a description of the work not yet done. The report details the history of the price spikes of reformulated gasoline (RFG) in the Midwestern part of the country and how these increases caused Commission staff to initiate a preliminary investigation in June and prompted the Commission to begin a formal investigation during the latter part of July.
The report analyzes many conditions reported as potential causes of the gas price spikes - ranging from higher than normal crude oil prices, to the expectation of compliance with EPA Phase II regulations for summer-blend reformulated gasoline in high-ozone urban areas, to the damage to the critically important Explorer pipeline during March. However, the report says that "although it is likely that each of these supply factors contributed to the dramatic recent price spikes in the Midwest, no single factor appears from staff's preliminary investigation to be likely to provide a full explanation, and staff does not yet have sufficient information to assess the impact of these factors in combination."
In accordance with the report, Commission staff is investigating "the possibility of collusion or tacit coordination, conduct that could be illegal under Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act." Due to the abundance of potential interwoven causes as well as the monstrous amount of evidential information being collected for the course of the investigation, the report also states that "this investigation is likely to consume, at a minimum, another three or four months."
The report shows that on June 29, Commission staff issued the first round of subpoenas to the nine refiners that currently supply the Midwestern markets and that within the month, staff has accepted and logged approximately 200 boxes of documentation. Around mid August, most documents requested from the first round of subpoenas will be delivered to the Commission offices.
The Commission also issued a second round of subpoenas to other refiners last week, and has issued Civil Investigative Demands (CIDs) to the refiners recently, requesting that the refiners compile data and answers to all of the Commissions written questions. Commission staff issued another set of subpoenas on July 25 to the entities that own or control the gas transportation pipelines serving the Midwest markets of the United States. Documents from that set of subpoenas are expected to begin arriving shortly at Commission offices.
The report further details the Commission’s plan to conduct a series of in depth interviews as part of the investigation. Staff has already conducted nearly 15 interviews with market participants, consumers, corporate consumers and many others with knowledge of investigation relevant information, and continues the process of capturing pertinent industry-wide data from the Oil Price Information Service (OPIS). After the documentary evidence has been reviewed and analyzed, staff will take depositions under oath of key participating personnel throughout the gasoline distribution chain in the Midwest United States.
Federal Trade Commission staff will also coordinate all of the investigative efforts with the Attorney General of Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Kentucky, South Dakota, Indiana, Missouri, and West Virginia.
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Since locking gas sales are up 135% this year why don't the auto stores sell something to keep it and avoid loss at the pumps....there is a product auto stores just want you to keep you coming back to buy more.
The GAS CAP KEEPER is universal, made of recyclable materials and will keep your LOCKING or non-locking gas cap attached around your filler neck...all for under $10.00
www.gascapkeeper.com