Sliders at Gas Stations: Thieves Target Customers as They Fill Up With Gas (VIDEO)
So-called "sliders" have been targeting customers at gas stations across major cities all over the United States, and have led authorities to warn people to be extra-vigilant when at gas stations.
Sliders have become an increasing problem across the nation, hitting gas stations in major cities including Houston, Miami, Memphis and Washington DC.
A slider is defined as a thief who goes to a gas station to target someone filling up at the pumps. They discretely check if the person has left their vehicle unlocked and if so they slide into the vehicle and steal whatever they can; usually women's handbags or cell phones that have been left in cars while the driver fills up with gas.
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Sliders have become an increasing problem, and are now believed to be increasingly targeting women as more vulnerable victims.
The thieves ordinarily can get in and out of someone's car and be gone with valuables within 15 to 30 seconds.
However, gas stations are not the only locations that sliders have been targeting. They have also been known to target childcare facilities, understanding that mothers dropping off and picking up children are usually in a rush and preoccupied with their kids, and this allows them to take advantage and carry out their thefts.
Authorities are warning that women have been the man ones targeted, but men also have been known to be victims as well. Especially men carrying briefcases, laptops, satchels or other valuables in their cars have seen them disappear after sliders have targeted them.
Houston police officer Jim Woods told ABC, "Your vehicle is not a secure location for your belongings."
Basic security measures should help to ensure you do not become a victim. Making sure doors on vehicles are locked, and that valuables are kept out of sight are the most basic ways that people can take precautions against sliders. Especially when drivers will be preoccupied with something such as filling up with gas or dropping of children, owners are being warned to ensure their vehicles are secure to avoid becoming a victim.
Here is a video news report on the problem of sliders:
