Gas Meter Thefts Are on the Rise in Argentina

In May 2022, I wrote a post called Water Meter Thefts Are On the Rise in Argentina. At the time, I thought that the situation couldn't get any lower than that. I was wrong. As it turns out, gas meter thefts are on the rise, too.

A couple of weeks ago, I was visiting an acquaintance who offered to make some lunch for us. But when she went to turn her gas stove on, she noticed that it wasn't turning on. Naturally, she found it odd since she always paid her bills on time. So, she turned on the hot water in the kitchen sink, but the gas tank didn't turn on. 

Now, we were really confused.

On a hunch, she went outside to check the gas meter. The only problem was that a vital component from the gas meter WAS GONE!

She let out this laugh of disbelief and whispered something under her breath that I can't share. As we inspected what was left of the gas meter, we noticed that the gas valve had been turned off. The thieves likely did this to ensure that they didn't blow themselves or the house up when they cut the component out.

Before going back into the house, the neighbor across the street came out and announced that their gas meter had been tampered with, too. It looks like the thief or thieves had targeted more than one home in the neighborhood.

After chatting with her neighbor, she went back into the house and called the gas company. Unfortunately, Ecogas informed her that this was the homeowner's responsibility, not the gas company. So, she called someone who came over and fixed the problem within a few hours. But she had to fork over close to 30,000 Argentine pesos to get the job done.

Naturally, I was afraid that this was going to happen to me eventually. Last year it was water meters. This year it seemed like gas meter thefts were on the rise. Well, I've managed to dodge the proverbial bullet, but two other acquaintances in Cordoba City were not so lucky.

I'm told that gas meter thefts and water meter thefts are common because the thieves can steal the copper and exchange it for money. 

I'm not surprised this is happening given that Argentina's inflation rate has gone beyond 100%. The crime rate has also spiked significantly. These days, I feel like Marty McFly in "Back to the Future II" when he went back to Hill Valley and discovered that it had turned into an unsafe nightmare. 

Don't get me wrong. Cordoba City was never entirely safe to begin with. But it has gotten worse. For instance, the other day, I placed an order for delivery. What I didn't realize was that two thieves were scoping out my neighborhood waiting for a delivery person to make a stop. Since most people wait for the delivery person to walk up to the door and knock, they probably figured that they would take that time to attack him. 

What the thieves weren't counting on was that I was monitoring the delivery person's approach on the phone app. As soon as they heard me opening the door, they walked away. It's probably a good thing too because I carry a blade with me for defensive purposes and I'm not afraid to use it. 

While I was grabbing my food, a neighbor across the street walked up to us and told the delivery person that he almost got mugged. I could tell the delivery person was panicking.   

But this isn't an isolated incident. Thieves have been mugging delivery drivers in Cordoba City lately. Some of the victims have been seriously injured. In one instance, a delivery driver was armed and fought back when they were attacked.

I don't get how people can behave this way in the face of an economic crisis. But this is pretty much what living in Cordoba City is like these days.