As gas prices rise, readers warn of fuel siphoned from vehicles

Q

I had a full tank of gas the other night and discovered the next day, while driving on the freeway, that it was empty. Thieves had siphoned all the petrol from my SUV. Thank God there was a gas station close to the San Jose airport.

I paid $59.24 for 10 gallons of gas, which filled half my tank. Needless to say, we purchased a locking gas cap right away.

A neighbor said that five other cars were targets, as well.

Is this a trend due to escalating gas prices? — Angie Young, San Jose

A

Unfortunately, it is. Police are not sure how often this occurs, but believe that it is often unreported. Thieves are doing this and, in some cases, worse, such as drilling holes in gas tanks and draining the gas out. Replacing your gas tank can cost $1,500-$2,000 or more.

What can you do? Purchase a locking gas cap to prevent situations like you experienced. Park in a lighted area, or in a garage, if you can, to reduce the chances that your car will be targeted.

Q

I saw my very first California license plate starting with 9 on Saturday. They're finally here! — Dave Murray

A

The 9 series plates are coming in gradually, and will last several years.

Q

The title of my message, “Immobile Road Boulder,” is inspired by

Mrs. Roadshow's glorious nickname — road boulders — for drivers who block others on the road.

The pedestrian curb island at the intersection of Highway 82 and Castro Street in Mountain View is also blocking drivers. It extends 4-5 feet beyond marked pedestrian lines. Twice while making U-turns, I almost lost control of my SUV when the rear left wheel collided with and crossed over the extended 5-by-5-foot “boulder.” I reported this safety issue to Caltrans.

They reviewed it and “will not be removing the pedestrian curb island because it functions to provide a refuge area for pedestrians in the median.” Instead, the median curb will be painted yellow to increase visibility for approaching traffic in the southbound left-turn lane.

I have driven this stretch many times. No other intersection features such a large, extended pedestrian curb island. — Sami Ibrahim

A

The city of Mountain View also reviewed this, and agrees with Caltrans that increasing the visibility of the island by painting it yellow is the first step in trying to accommodate drivers and the many pedestrians in the area.

The city says that there is a high need for this island, which serves as a refuge for pedestrians. They believe it is necessary because of the volume of foot traffic here, which includes many Graham Middle School students.