Newspaper sighting (Abby & the Gas Thief)

[PepperElf]

Just read the morning paper and saw this.....

Some guy wrote in to ask Abby for a judgement call. He parked his truck behind his house and had left a lawnmower & 5 gal gas tank in the truck bed. He went in for some water and came out to find the gas tank missing.

So... he bought another can and filled it with gas and 2 pounds of sugar and left it on the back of his truck just like the first can. Within an hour it was stolen.

Later (same day I think) he saw the neighbor's son pushing a car up the street with engine problems....

His wife thinks he should pay for the engine failure but he doesn't think so. Abby agreed, stating that he doesn't really have proof that their car broke from the sugar gas.


Personally.... well no one forced the thief to steal the gas.

Plus......The guy was returning from mowing his mom's lawn... so obviously he'd had the mower (and probably the gas) on the bed of the truck on the way out, so anyone watching would assume he'd be coming back with it as well. Combined with the fact that the original gas was stolen during the time it took the guy to get a drink of water from the house... I'm thinking it was planned out ahead of time.

And then when he left to get more gas... the thief got greedy (greedier actually). "He's got MORE gas I can steal? Oh sweeeeet.... Let's go take it!"

Planned out and done on purpose - especially since they stole twice. ... I don't think the guy owes them anything.

[TheSnakeLady]

Might I recommend this article on Snopes.com:

http://www.snopes.com/autos/grace/sugar.asp

[taxguykarl]

Personally.... well no one forced the thief to steal the gas.

Furthermore, there is no proof (yet) that the car stalled from sugar in the engine.

IMO, the thief assumed the risk that the contents of the gas can were not entirely gas.

Would Abby give the same advice if the victim's lawn mower were 2-stroke which runs on a motor oil/gasoline mixture? It's no one's fault but the thief's.

[JustADude]

Might I recommend this article on Snopes.com:

http://www.snopes.com/autos/grace/sugar.asp

Actually, it does say that the sugar will do damage by clogging the fuel filter and injectors, if not actually junk the whole engine... so it is possible that's what happened.

I agree, though, there's no actual proof either way, and if it does turn out to be the kid, he was thieving to begin with.

[protege]

I agree, though, there's no actual proof either way, and if it does turn out to be the kid, he was thieving to begin with.

That's how I feel about it too. If it was the kid, he got what he deserved. Sorry, but I have no sympathy for thieves or stupid people.

[MystyGlyttyr]

Well, we have a neighbor who raises chickens, horses, cows, etc., down here, and she has one gas can that she bought brand-new and uses purely to carry water around and fill all the water dishes and whatnot for her small animals. And she HAS, once in a while, added sugar to the water as a sort of treat for a couple of her ponies since they seem to like it. So, it's not outside the realm of possibility that a gas tank might have sugar in it after all. You'd just have to make the argument that your husband or someone forgot it was your special can and put gasoline on it. Legally easy to defend.

Anyway, you steal, you takes your chances.

[Daskinor]

Most cars have a fuel pump than sits inside the tank. This way gas is sucked up more or an inch above the lowest point in a fuel tank. This way only gas is sucked up. Not allot of things will dissolve into it. (additives will further prevent that) Things that are less dense then gas will float on the top, ie. watter. and solids usually sink to the bottom.

Now enough sugar, with a bottom feed tank. And your going to stall your car out quick. Exspecally if its old or is in poor repair. Most people have fairly gummed up fuel filters already. My father has only cleaned out one car that was stalled out by sugar. He has cleaned up about 10 tanks that where filled with sugar. But it posed no real threat.

[protege]

Well, we have a neighbor who raises chickens, horses, cows, etc., down here, and she has one gas can that she bought brand-new and uses purely to carry water around and fill all the water dishes and whatnot for her small animals.

Even so, I'd be *very* careful. I'd be reluctant to use a gas can for something other than gasoline--there's too much risk of poisoning. Even if a small amount of fuel finds its way in there (and is cleaned out), it can contaminate the water.

[chinashirtgirl]

I can't believe the thief thinks they are entitled to anything after stealing the gas! Isn't stealing against the law?? And now the gas owner knows who stole the gas, why is he not pressing charges against the thief?

Maybe he is and now the thief has to pay a fine and that's why he can't afford to fix his engine!

[Mark Healey]

Might I recommend this article on Snopes.com:

http://www.snopes.com/autos/grace/sugar.asp

They also tested it on Mythbusters. Nothing bad happened.

[Evil Queen]

Now Rice on the other hand....

[Jack7957]

They also tested it on Mythbusters. Nothing bad happened.

Yep...

http://mythbustersresults.com/episode15

Although it doesn't say how much sugar was used. The original letter writer used 2lbs, so it's possible that much could have clogged up the fuel filter.

[PepperElf]

plus he didn't say how much gas he put in the tank. then again it only held 5 gallons so... at the most it was 2 pounds of sugar and 5 gallons of gas... that could be kinda rough on a car.... especially if the only other gas in the tank had come from the stolen gas from earlier.

[Jack7957]

Here's the original letter....