Desperate times call for desperate measures. But there are certain things that need to be done correctly, even in the light of a natural disaster like Hurricane Sandy. While drivers on the East Coast have been stuck with long lines at the pump to fuel up cars and get gas for generators, police say one man went about gassing up the entirely wrong way.

There’s a way to go about toting gas, and according to Connecticut state law, it can only be in containers approved by the Department of Transportation. That’s because those receptacles are specially built to handle the increased pressure of gas heating and expanding, and to decrease the buildup of static electricity so as to prevent fire.

Cops say a New York man was on a mission to find gas for himself and his neighbors after Sandy, but that since it was sold out in his state, he’d hop over to Connecticut to fill up. Police claim the man had filled 30 all-purpose type buckets with gas, about 120 gallons worth, which was discovered when someone called in an anonymous tip.

“Officers observed that the buckets of gas were covered with lids and stacked on top of each other inside the van and trunk,” cops said. “…The buckets were not secured in the vehicle and the lids were beginning to expand.”

The gas station owner says he just didn’t notice the man because he was busy, even though the man came in to pay for his gas several times. ,

Both the owner and the mangot in toruble for the incident, as officers felt the owner should’ve realized something unsafe was gong down. Officials from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection decided to return the gasoline to the station’s tanks, as well. A bummer for those who needed, to be sure, but better to go about it safely.

Cops: New York man filled 30 buckets with gas in Conn. [CT Post]

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