Watching CSI Miami last night and observed what I thought was a few glaring "oversights" in their depiction of a fuel stealing ring.
OK its only telly - but this show purports to be all scientific, and plausible, latest cutting edge technology, etc etc.
Well I've carted a bit if fuel in my time, various tankers of diesel and unleaded and kero and jet A1 avaiation fuel etc, so have a bit of experience carting fuel and it's volumes / weights and bulk etc, as
well as how long it takes.
The show depicted a US 4x4 SUV pulling a tandem axel trailer that looked to all intents and purposes like a horsefloat!
According to the show, the fuel stealing ring had a petrol powered fire fighting pump, inside this trailer - a trapdoor in the floor of the trailer, and they would pull into a servo - park the trailer over the top of the underground tanks fill/dip lids, and use a pinch bar and bolt cutters from inside the trailer via the trapdoor to access the underground tank of bulk fuel.
The statistics were 1500 US Gallons of unleaded stolen in only 20 mins.
I make it 3.78 liters to a US Gallon. So a total of 5670 liters - worth maybe what $3US a gallon at the peak of fuel prices back in the USA 6 months or so ago? $US 4500 haul - not a bad 20 minutes work.
I found this to be rather incredulous for a few reasons.
I can't imagine too many tandem axel horse floats type trailers legal or
well enough sprung to hold approximately 5 tonnes of fuel in one load, on a 2 inch tow ball and hauled byee a standard 4x4 SUV licensed to pull maybe 3.5 tonnes.
They showed vid footage etc and the tyre sidewalls weren't even bulging despite the claimed 5 odd tonnes of fuel and maybe 1.5 tonnes of trailler weight! (As if!).
Next was the time taken - 20 minutes while they distraced the servo operator with a female customer supposedly out of fuel and short of cash who takes the operator in the ladies for a quick 20 minute shag to pay her fuel bill - while the gang rip off 1500 US Gallons of gas in 20 minutes.
We used to transport all our diesel for the Island up north in 1000 liter cubes that you see oil etc delivered in now - they are specially made for use with forklifts etc for bulk oil,
The fuel truck would come out to Balla Balla, an 8 tonner with 4000 liters in the tank on the tray and a diesel genset and electric fuel transfer pump run thru a live reel with normal bowser dia fuel delivery hose, and nozzel - just like your service station.
We would nose the boat into the ramp and back the truck down the ramp, unwind the hose and pop it into a cube on the boat for 1000 liters!
At full open discharge speed, it would take us 20 minutes to transfer 1000 liters - I knew this because we would try to cart 4000 liters on one turn of the 6 hour tide and if we dilly dallied we would get stuck on the sand bars in the boats!
It took 20 minutes to load 1000 liters and another 20 minutes back at the island to discharge that 1000 liters into another cube on
the beach - then turn round and go back for a second load - do that with 2 boats - and if you timed it right on the spring tides you could get 4 trips in one tide turn.
We used the exact same, as depicted in the show, fire fighting pump, to discharge fuel into the 1000 liter cube on
the beach - yep 20 minutes!
Lastly the show filmed inside this supposed fuel stealing trailer, and far from seeing 6 x 1000 liter cubes - there was ONE solitary 55 US Gallon (44 English Gallon) drum! (200 liters) visible!
So - just WHERE in this trailer was the supposed 1500 gallons of stolen fuel that never loaded up
the springs or tyres of the trailer- nor the tow hitch of the SUV pulling it - stored exactly?
Obviously it would be so heavey (remember our fuel delivery truck was an 8 tonner with 4000 liter tank).....and heres a 3.5 tonne trailer with 5 tonnes at least of stolen fuel in it?
Apart from the illegal aspects on the road, I REALLY doubt many trailers or SUV's could haul such a load physically!
Lastly I don't believe anyone could suck up from an underground tank with a little honda / robin fire fighting pump, 1500 gallons of fuel in 20 minutes....more like 1 hour & 40 minutes tops!
So the lil gal keeeping the servo operator entertained musta been some kinda olympic athlete to keep him hard at it for 100 minutes and HE woulda needed the WHOLE bottle of viagra to keep it up to her for that length of time!
Lastly - the accomplices inside this fuel stealing trailer,when they started the pertrol powered fire fighter would have had a few real problems..
1. Lack of oxygen as the Carbon monoxide from the pump inside the enclosed trailer would put them too sleep/ & or asphyxiate them!
2. The real chance that one spark or backfaire from the petrol powered fire fighter pump would have ignited all the fuel vapour fumes and blown the trailer and servo and couple out back shaggin, to kingdom come. (Did the earth just movefor you too honey?) he he he.
3. Sound of a small loud petrol engine running inside a trailer parked at the servo wouldn't attract anyones attention?
Like I said - I reckon CSI Miami TRY to be leading edge technology correct (example the tazer made from a modified mobile phone depicted in the show)...and their DNA science etc all claims to be leading edge - but the script / story writers, have no conception or practical experience at all of carting / stealing fuel IMHO.
A small detail that lets down an otherwise reasonably entertaining story for an hour on a weeknight.
I reckon after all the fuel we carted - even if I was stealing it and selling it to make a profit - you'd soon get bloody bored of all the work and time involved - it's like sitting round watching wet paint dry!
My appreciation of CSI Miami has gone down a tad as a result.
Just look at all the trouble we have adding long range tanks to our 4WD vehicles these days for what - an extra 100 liters?
Ohh
well - it made for a good story I spose.
My 2c rant - over - so - whattya think?
Anyone else pick it?
Cheers