Gas prices are going up all over the US, and Honolulu is no exception. Prices in Honolulu are over US$4 a gallon, while prices on the neighbor islands passed that mark in April 2008, according to this Honolulu Star-billetin article.
Some Hawaii-based researchers believe that prices will continue to go up, as the era of “peak oil” ends. See this article from the Honolulu Star-Bulletin for more information.
Since the state of Hawaii gets 90% of its cargo from boats, higher oil prices will lead to higher prices for almost every good and service, including gasoline. I have seen and read about more people who are consolidating trips, carpooling, taking The Bus, or walking during the day.
Suck it up
Petty thieves have shifted their attention from copper to gasoline. earlier in 2008, the Hawaii Legislature increased the penalties for copper theft, and required scrap metal dealers to keep better records of transactions. So the criminal element has armed itself with boxcutters and siphons. With some vehicles, it’s easier to cut the plastic fuel line to drain the tank. Cars and trucks with large fuel tanks are a tempting target, especially when they are parked on quiet streets or unsecured company lots.
This Honolulu Advertiser article has some more details, including an indication of how well-organized some fuel thieves are:
“In Waipi’o Gentry we’ve been hit several times by a white pickup truck that has a big tank in the back of the rig,” [U-Haul district manager Don] Rickard said. “The same guy just pulls up, sticks in the hose, turns on his pump, siphons the gas and away he goes. We’ve turned in video of him doing it three or four times a month, but he keeps using stolen license plates. It’s extremely frustrating.”
The usual common sense measures are listed in the Advertiser article: video surveillance, vehicle alarms, and parking in well-lit, secure areas.
There’s one more good suggestion: get a steel fuel line made and installed under the vehicle. Anyone who is dumb enough to cut through a full steel fuel line with a metal blade will trigger an explosion.
Related posts on billso.com
- 4 January 2008: Copper thieves kill Sugar Bowl cablecast
