Manhole Cover Theft

[kbroderick]

The Rutvegas Herald reports that scumbags are now stealing manhole covers, presumably for scrap. I know it's happened elsewhere in the past, but that's the first I'd heard of it happening in Vermont.

Keep your eyes peeled. That could suck.

[Slyder]

yea imagine finding one missing at night with the bike.

It's getting pretty bad. My fathers friend knows a guy in the scrap business, had a trailer full of metal...comes home one day and finds a guy and his kid in the yard, trailer hooked up to the truck and they're getting ready to leave with it. The owner blocks their truck with his own and gets out, asks what they are doing....the guy and his kid said "oh we thought you didn't want this metal." The owner said something else like get the hell off my property, then the idiot attempting to steal it then pulls a handgun and the guy who blocked them in also had one, he pulled it and said "someone is gonna die today" but I guess the thiefs back off and got held at gun point till the cops showed up. Think he and his kid are looking at about 10 years or something.

I think these are the same two that were in a neighbors yard, but they asked for metal. when they were told he didn't have any to give them, one said "hey you have a flat on that truck over there, how about giving us the wheel?"

yea, they slit the tire. it was pretty obvious. that neighbor happens to be my landlords son...and he described them as a guy and a younger kid, son. No idea on age, but I don't think dear ol dad was teaching his 10 year old how to jack scrap metal and pull guns on people...he was probably 20 something or so.

so be weary of this crap. I told the landlords son if he saw people in his yard again to go out and say hi with his .45

[NEWTREADS]

Scrap yards are taking these? Wouldn't it be obvious where a manhole cover came from? I guess if one or 2 are snuck in with a whole trailer load and just weighed in you could get away with it. Shit the thought of hitting an open one on the bike or even in a car. That will leave a mark.

[Ericthejet]

This went on back home for a few weeks.
The city called scrap dealers and warned of possible fines if they took in manhole covers.
No longer in the news.

[Tricky Mike]

Scrap yards are taking these? Wouldn't it be obvious where a manhole cover came from? I guess if one or 2 are snuck in with a whole trailer load and just weighed in you could get away with it. Shit the thought of hitting an open one on the bike or even in a car. That will leave a mark.

+1
They all say "City of Boston" Cambridge, NYC, etc...
is that not the case everywhere?
Maybe there are some scrapyards that would be happy to get in on the action.

Copper is the worst lately. That stuff grows legs in a hurry.

[SSearchVT]

Catalytic converters are popular too - they slide under a pickup of a van with a cordless sawzall and have them out in a matter of seconds...

[Tricky Mike]

+1
They all say "City of Boston" Cambridge, NYC, etc...

Actually I looked at a bunch of covers on my ride in this AM...
Many just say "Drain" "sewer" etc...
Didn't appear to have any city-specific markings.

[Hauptman]

If a scrap yard gets caught with covers they'll be charged for dealing in stolen goods. Plus, since its city/government property it is a serious crime

[BLaZNKrON]

The scrap yard probably wouldn't give you a cent for it anyway. The place I go doesn't take any cast iron and doesn't pay shit for steel. The only stuff they want is COPPER $$$$$$$$$$$$$.