When I tried to go to work this morning, my car would not start. New car, just gave them a new check for it (since the first check bounced -- silly, confusing Discover Card checks). Added oil, did nothing. helen99 tried jumping it, and that did nothing. I gave up and headed to work in Smurf -- late, even though I'd started out early to pick up things on the way -- while helen99 stayed behind to see what she could do.

She ended up filling up a portable gas tank with a couple gallons and after bringing it back, the car apparently started right up. She drove it to the station and filled it up, no problems.

The thing is, the last time I filled the tank, I'd gone 281.25 miles on 10.25 gallons of gas. It being a 12.2 gallon tank (according to freakscout), I should be able to get 334.75 miles on a tank driving in the same fashion (mind you, I'd then be dead on the side of the road, or running on fumes to the station). I'd only driven about 160 miles since filling up the tank (the travel odometer said 159.something, but there was an additional mile in there because I'd forgotten to reset the odometer at the station). That's less than half the amount of traveling I should be able to get off a single tank of gas.

So, I'm sticking with helen99's theory that someone syphoned my gas. Such a high amount of petty crime in this area; people littering all sorts of things in the forest preserve area across the street, steeling bicycles out of people's yards, slashing tires, and knocking the rear-view mirrors off cars. What the poo?

Anyways, there is no security on my gas intake-thingy. What can I do about getting some sort of lock installed on the little door or something? I've heard AutoZone does this sort of thing, but not sure, and the closest one to the house is in the city. Other than that, there is one close to my work. Any suggestions?