Driver Concerned After Thief Siphons Gas From Car Parked At Denver International Airport
DENVER (CBS4) - Getting to Denver International Airport can be a stressful affair, so most people want parking to be easy. Many people may not know that if your car gets damaged at one of the airport's lots while you are out of town, you are responsible. Jack O'Connor , a Colorado man, learned that lesson the hard way.
O'Connor was coming home from a trip earlier this month when he noticed something different about his car.
"The gas tank was open and the cap was pulled off," he said.
Someone had siphoned a quarter of a tank of gas while he was parked on top of the parking garage at the airport.
"I reported it, and what concerned me was that there doesn't appear to be any real security at a parking structure at DIA."
He called the airport to file a complaint but was told they couldn't do anything for him because a warning is printed on the back of the parking stub. O'Connor says he didn't know the disclaimer was there, but concedes it may have been there.
"It says that the car owner is responsible for any liability or damage to the car."
O'Connor feels fortunate there was no damage to his car, but he worries the garage isn't being monitored well enough.
"If there's not surveillance, what would prevent someone else from getting hurt or injured?" he said.
DIA officials say they do have surveillance in some areas of the garage but not all, and they point out that when you agree to pay for parking, you do so at your own risk. O'Connor says next time he might park somewhere else.
"I'll probably go to one of the offsite lots that has some security."
Denver International Airport provided the following statement:
"DEN Parking and Transportation has staff that regularly drive through the lots every day looking for issues in the facilities. This includes people that look out of place or may not have business in the facilities. They will approach and ask if they can assist and if they have reason for concern will notify DPD. We also have a contractor that has staff that is assigned to the facilities that is also driving through the facilities regularly and will report suspicious behavior. In the Economy, Pikes Peak and Mt Elbert lots, we also have a busing contractor that will also notify Parking and Transportation or DPD if they have concerns about any activity in the parking lots."
O'Connor says that although Denver police told him there are no cameras in the area where he parked his car and there have been no similar reports of gas being siphoned, they said they will do extra patrols and keep an eye out for any illegal activity.
