Posted on 04/16/2015 11:04:52 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Two suspects are wanted in a string of air pump machine thefts at Brooklyn and Queens gas stations that have netted the thieves thousands of dollars in stolen money and machinery, police say.
At least 17 air pump machines were stolen in the two boroughs from December 2014 to April 2015, according to police.
So far the thieves have walked off with more than $49,000 between the stolen pumps and the change inside them, police said.
One Citgo gas station's air pump machine alone contained $800 in change. And one of the air pump machines that was stolen from a gas station in Queens was valued at $25,000, according to police.
There were at least 17 air pump machine thefts in Queens and Brooklyn from December 2014 to April 2015, according to police.
Vishneo Bridgellal, a shift manager at a BP gas station in South Ozone Park, said two of the station's air pumps have been stolen. Employees only found out they were gone after a customer told them.
"In the morning, when the customer comes by to buy gas and they try to air the wheel there was nothing there," Bridgellal said.
The suspects use vehicles with tow hooks to pull the coin-operated, self-serve air pump machines from their bases.
In one surveillance video, a hooded suspect can be seen pulling up to a Sunoco gas station in Queens after dark and attaching a rope to the air pump. He or she then jumps in the car and accelerates, ripping the machine from its stand and sending sparks flying. The first suspect and a passenger then put the air pump machine in the trunk of their car and drive off.
"It's amazing what people would do for money," Louis Agosineili, of Ozone Park, said. "It really is crazy."
The thieves usually target gas stations in the evening or at night.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS.
Of course, I remember the Good Ol Days when the air line was connected to the compressor in the shop and air was free.
Now git off my lawn, you rotten kid!
and air was free.”
It’s amazing how far we have come. We now pay for canned air, bottled water and fertilizer. Our grandparents have to be turning over in their graves.
They shouldn’t be charging anything for air at these places anyway! Then no one would steal them ... LOL ...
I actually drive regularly to the one gas station that has free air even though there are others close by.
Lucky they were able to find a gas station in NYC.
I used to do the same; then foreigners bought that one and the free air was gone...
While I understand property rights should be respected, I have no problem with somebody stealing these; they are symbols of the deterioration of our way of life. I remember as a kid being able to stop in any gas station to fill bike tires or use the bathroom, and now those days are gone. Replacement Americans operate them now; air is $.75 or $1, the bathroom “is broken”, the mechanics’ bays are converted to Quik-E-Marts (since the merchant caste can’t fix cars), and nobody can give directions - because they live miles away and only moved here two weeks ago (but they will sell you a map)...
There are decent, inexpensive compressors you can carry with you. I bought a relatively pricy model from Costco for $75. It is built around a car battery that can start your car, pump up your tires or provide emergency lighting. I have used it for all those things.
Problems with having to depend on the availability of pay devices is having change, having machines that actually work, and they’re frequently in neighborhoods I’d rather not stop in.
I've put air in my tire, but never in my wheel. The wheels have been solid metal on every car I have owned.
That, and “air” isn’t a verb for putting air into a tire.
By the same token, charging people for air is offensive ... How about just some perks ... some common courtesy for your customers?
But all this is going to do is eliminate the compressed air service entirely. No station is going to risk having the equipment stolen, so it's either free or non-existent. I'll give you one guess which one they'll choose ...
I would never steal one of these things. They are crappy for compressing air, mickey mouse, however, apparently they provide storage for quarters quite well.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.