People stealing license plates....

[URY914]

Found on another forum...

"A woman said her son found his license plate missing so he called the police to file a report. They told him people were stealing the plates to get free gas. Given the rise in gas prices, people have taken to stealing license plates, putting them on their car, then getting gas and running. The gas station will have 'your' license plate # and you could be in trouble for 'pump and run.' Check your car periodically to be sure you still have a plate. If you should find it missing, file a report immediately!!! Keep an eye on your license plate! Make sure you always know it's there! When the license plate is reported as the 'drive off vehicle', it's YOU they contact! Be aware!!!! Be aware of your license plates, most of us never look to see if the plates are there or not."

BEWARE!

[pwd72s]

Go to fastenal...replace the screw head bolts holding your plates on with hex wrench heads...

[speeder]

CA. has not had *pump first then pay us* for about 30 years. I can't believe that still exists anywhere. Would they leave $100 jackets outside 100 feet from their door unlocked when people are broke and freezing their asses off??

[the]

There are still gas stations that don't make you pay *before* pumping gas?!?

[MRM]

Sounds a bit like an urban legend. If someone wanted to steal gas they would just cover their plate or tape off part of the numbers so it looked real from a distance. The plates have to match the car, anyway, so there isn't much danger you'll get stuck paying for someone else's gas. Besides, who would call the police to file a report for a missing plate? Wouldn't they assume it just fell off and go to the DMV for a replacement?

[71T Targa]

We still have pump first/pay after pumps all over the place. I was paying one time and I watched the teller write down the license of a car while they were filling up. I asked about it, and she said that they'll fill and then leave. Sure enough as soon as they were finished filling up they just drove away and she picked up the phone to call the cops. There was no incentive for her to do anything but write down the license plate and make the call.

[VaSteve]

Originally Posted by MRM

Sounds a bit like an urban legend. If someone wanted to steal gas they would just cover their plate or tape off part of the numbers so it looked real from a distance. The plates have to match the car, anyway, so there isn't much danger you'll get stuck paying for someone else's gas. Besides, who would call the police to file a report for a missing plate? Wouldn't they assume it just fell off and go to the DMV for a replacement?

I had my rear tag stolen at the Atlanta airport once. I don't know how long I drove around before I noticed...week or two. Someone actually took my tag off an replaced it with another. I think the scam is that they have a reader that looks at your plate on the way in. They look on the way out and compare to the ticket. Maybe they "losted" their ticket and took my tag since my car was there less than theirs. I did call the police and I think I went to the station...at least the DMV. The police called me a couple of months later to ask if I found my plate. WTF? Isn't that their job?

[Z-man]

Originally Posted by MRM

Sounds a bit like an urban legend.

It does happen, but not to the 'epidemic' proportions the email/note wants you to believe.

Snopes is your friend

-Z-man.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by MRM

Sounds a bit like an urban legend. If someone wanted to steal gas they would just cover their plate or tape off part of the numbers so it looked real from a distance. The plates have to match the car, anyway, so there isn't much danger you'll get stuck paying for someone else's gas. Besides, who would call the police to file a report for a missing plate? Wouldn't they assume it just fell off and go to the DMV for a replacement?

You might think twice. For a pump and run, the first thing the station will look for is the plate no. from their cameras. The camera won't know the plate is from a red Camary even tho the car getting the gas was a blue Nissan. You're gonna have to answer the report with the correct information even if the PD already ran the plate. Missing plate report? Well, you gotta document the timing somehow. Who you gonna call, platebusters?

[lendaddy]

Originally Posted by speeder

CA. has not had *pump first then pay us* for about 30 years. I can't believe that still exists anywhere. Would they leave $100 jackets outside 100 feet from their door unlocked when people are broke and freezing their asses off??

Not everywhere is a cesspool of crime and dishonesty like the Cali utopia

In fact I don't remember the last time I've seen a pay FIRST pump around here.

[Z-man]

Hey, in NJ, they still won't let you pump your own gas, believe it or not!
-Z

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by MRM

Sounds a bit like an urban legend. If someone wanted to steal gas they would just cover their plate or tape off part of the numbers so it looked real from a distance. The plates have to match the car, anyway, so there isn't much danger you'll get stuck paying for someone else's gas. Besides, who would call the police to file a report for a missing plate? Wouldn't they assume it just fell off and go to the DMV for a replacement?

In NYS you need to file a police report for a lost plate or DMV will not replace.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by Z-man

Hey, in NJ, they still won't let you pump your own gas, believe it or not!
-Z

Oregon won't either. Unless I'm on my Harley, and it looks like I'll light the first little bastard on fire that spills any on it.

[David]

I was talking to one of the guys doing some work on my house who rides a GSXR1000. I was asking him about his inspection sticker on the side of swingarm since I was thinking of doing the same on my wife's bike. He said he did it after he had a few stickers stolen. He said they stole his plate and sticker once and when he went to get a new plate, he had 17 violations. Luckily some were red light camera and toll road violations which had pictures clearly showing it wasn't his bike.

BTW, I took his GSXR for a ride. Wholly cow bikes have gotten fast!

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by Z-man

Hey, in NJ, they still won't let you pump your own gas, believe it or not!
-Z

Oregon was like that, probably still is. I got tired of waiting for the guy to come out and help me, pumped my own gas, and when I put the nozzle back, it reset to zero. He had to take my word for how much I got.

Dude was very irate, "This is why it is illegal for people pump their own gas!" "No, that is the law, so losers like yourself can have jobs."

[red-beard]

Suprisingly, the Gas Stations are pump first, then pay in Romania. And about 1/2 of them are full service, windshields and all!

[Noah930]

While Oregon gas stations are full-service (or at least, they pump for you), whenever I filled up my bike, the attendant would just hand me the pump to do it myself. No big deal.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I'm actually kind of surprised people aren't stealing them for scrap metal value.

[rick-l]

In states that have high personal property taxes on cars and/or require emissions inpections (like Misery and Kansass) plates are stolen so they can razor blade off the renewal tag and put it on their car without paying the tax etc. Police never check the number on the little year tag.

[Hugh R]

Originally Posted by 125shifter

I was asking him about his inspection sticker on the side of swingarm since I was thinking of doing the same on my wife's bike. He said he did it after he had a few stickers stolen.

Put the sticker on and then cut it a few times with a razor blade, they'll only get a little piece and leave the rest of it in place.