'How to siphon gasoline' Google search surges in Russia amid fuel shortages
https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/how-to-siphon-gasoline-searches-surge-in-1782302291.html
https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/how-to-siphon-gasoline-searches-surge-in-1782302291.html
48 Comments
BlindPenguin@lemmy.world · 67 pts · 56d
That three day special operation is going well, i guess
wabafee@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 56d
How long this "three day" special operation has been going now?
FergleFFergleson@infosec.pub · 23 pts · 56d
1,582 days as of this morning.
towerful@programming.dev · 3 pts · 56d
How about this afternoon?
cheers_queers@lemmy.zip · 29 pts · 57d
didnt everyone watch their dad suck on a rubber hose at some point in the 90s? lol
boonhet@sopuli.xyz · 28 pts · 57d
They do have anti siphon valves these days so the process is a little bit more complicated I believe, though I don't think those are impossible to defeat either.
TheEighthDoctor@lemmy.zip · 5 pts · 56d
Stab the gas tank with a screwdriver?
neukenindekeuken@sh.itjust.works · 5 pts · 56d
Make sure to film this.
Damn990099@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 56d
And then post it as a tutorial on youtube.
CADmonkey@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 56d
Some older japanese cars have a drain plug in the gas tank.
zurohki@aussie.zone · 8 pts · 57d
No, in the 90s parents could afford fuel.
comador@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 57d
The 1990-1991 recession actually made it difficult for many to afford gas. It was a shitty couple of years.
arrow74@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 56d
TIL, never heard of that recession before. It last about 8 months and seems to be the smallest labeled recession in the past 100 years
mojofrododojo@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 56d
it literally gave clinton a cudgel to use against the right just months later - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It's_the_economy%2C_stupid
comador@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 56d
Yup, was small, but impactful to many. I was just entering the workforce at the time; minimum wage in the US was I think $3.15/hr, gas had just topped $1.00/gallon for the first time and the cost of living had gone up about 20%. Wasn't fun holding 3 part time jobs and working 60 hours a week to pay for just basic living expenses.
arrow74@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 56d
So basically the modern economy lol.
Gas peaked this year around $4.40 when minimum wage is still somehow 7.25. The lowest average rent I could find in any state was $983 a month in West Virginia. So that will take about 135 working hours (pre tax of course) to afford. That's about 3.4 working weeks at minimum wage just to pay rent. After taxes and other expenses that would be like 80 hours a week easy.
And yet our leaders say the country is doing just fine. There's no recession. God we are fucked
comador@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 56d
Yup. Very close to today's economy. I survived on a diet of Rolled oats, Kielbasa and Top Ramen for almost three years in that timeframe. Rent and auto insurance took 80% of my wages.
GreenKnight23@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 56d
I guess you didn't grow up around cars.
Zorque@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 57d
I watched my dad walk out on my family. Luckily I was a toddler so I don't really remember it.
cheers_queers@lemmy.zip · 6 pts · 57d
bro
i wish my dad woulda, lol
mojofrododojo@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 56d
this is one of the stranger ironies I've observed - couples I thought would make it crumbling, and, toxic / terrible matches staying married to hate-fuck the other as long as possible.
people genuinely need to split sometimes. and people should stay together if they can make it work, sometimes, but it often doesn't seem to be the right crowd for each use case. Oof.
bridgeburner@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 56d
That sounds like some redneck shit lol
cheers_queers@lemmy.zip · 3 pts · 56d
you'd be right lol
GreenKnight23@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 56d
dad didn't like the taste of gas so he used a rag and two hoses.
naeap@sopuli.xyz · 2 pts · 56d
I'm not imaginative enough, how does this work?
GreenKnight23@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 56d
two tubes in the hole. first tube goes in deep enough to sit at the bottom of the tank fully submerged in the gas.
second tube is only long enough to sit in the pipe that feeds the tank, so it's not in any gas.
stuff the rag into the hole around the tubes as tightly as possible making an air tight seal.
put first tube into gas can. blow into second tube.
as pressure builds in the tank, gas will flow out of the first tube.
make sure you kink the air tube so your pressure doesn't escapenaeap@sopuli.xyz · 2 pts · 56d
Ah, I see, thanks, makes sense
Krelis_@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 56d
Regarding your last sentence: as long as the other end of the first tube is lower than the fill level of the tank, you won't have to worry about the rag or the second tube or the pressure escaping once the flow has started; the siphon will sustain itself
GreenKnight23@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 56d
you're absolutely right (swear I'm not a bot). if anything, kinking it would lead to a vacuum forming which would counter the siphon. good call out.
Krelis_@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 56d
See you know what you're talking about. Have a good one
x00z@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 56d
My dad, Mr. Hollywood movies.
daannii@lemmy.world · 20 pts · 57d
It's true you can pry open the the cover. So that's limited security. But cars have been putting filters things in the line for years to keep hoses out and potatos or whatever else people might try to put down there.
Of course there are ways to get past these (I assume). But I don't know how.
I was told by someone who used to steal gas, that these are common in cars now. That it's very hard to get a hose into the tank.
Easier to steal out of motorcycles (without locking caps) and lawnmowers.
I just messaged a mechanic friend of mine to see what he says. I'll report back.
CADmonkey@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 56d
Recovering mechanic here. You're correct.
There tend to be corners in the fill tube which makes getting the hose into the tank difficult on its own. And there is usually a device in the line, like a spring, that allows fuel to flow into the tank, but not a hose.
This wasn't always the case. Cars older than about the mid 1980's (depending on brand) won't always have such features.
daannii@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 56d
That tracks with what I recall from this gas thief telling me. Which would have been in the early 2000s.
Some people were still driving 80s cars but not many.
derpgon@programming.dev · 4 pts · 56d
Status report, stat!
WindyRebel@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 56d
Thank you, Number One.
daannii@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 56d
Looks like another mechanic jumped in. But yes my buddy says in response to me asking if modern cars have barriers to prevent siphoning.
"they definitely do. Some use a ball some use a door".
rain_enjoyer@sopuli.xyz · 14 pts · 57d
there are people that don't know that? people that presumably passed primary school? some might remember that from 90s too
Nomecks@lemmy.ca · 27 pts · 57d
The process is different now:
Marthirial@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 56d
Don't listen to them, Russian fellows. There is an easier way:
coffinI mean gas can.tocopherol@lemmy.dbzer0.com · -1 pts · 56d
"Russians should all kill themselves" is what you are saying if anyone is confused. You'd be surprised to learn not every Russian person is an evil terrorist deserving of death. Even if you are a Ukraine supporter you know Russian people live all over the world?
paraphrand@lemmy.world · 16 pts · 57d
To be fair. People probally know the basic concept. But they want information on the best ways, unexpected options for tubes, tips and tricks, how to break into locked gas covers quickly, etc. etc.
It’s 2026. And it’s normal to learn about things online in many parts of the world. And people have grown up knowing they can extend, expand and enhance their knowledge of things casually by looking it up.
I know it’s about gravity and getting it flowing, etc. I learned about it in grade school. But I would still look it up if i was faced with having to do it and had access to the internet.
Reygle@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 57d
Got to think about the "average" people you know, and then suddenly realize 1/2 of all people are dumber than that.
Warning: not good for your sanity to do the above
wreckedcarzz@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 57d
Hey, did you know gasoline has calories? That gives me an idea...
--average person next to you in a mobile death machine
Reygle@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 57d
I wish more followed that thinking and chugged a gallon before thinking twice.
bridgeburner@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 56d
That's the median, not the average
Reygle@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 56d
In that case you can put me in the lower median group
FatVegan@leminal.space · 4 pts · 56d
People don't know that siphoning gas is pretty hard on newer cars because of filters and system in place against tampering? They have to be so absolutely stupid. I mean can you believe that?