Thieves lifting manhole covers - GoFuckYourself.com

tony286 · 07-01-2008, 04:53 PM

Thieves lifting manhole covers
Lids attract street crime as prices for scrap metal soar, economy sags

By Stefanie Frith
USA TODAY

Cities and counties are battling manhole-cover thefts, a crime spree that police tie to the weak economy.

Hundreds of 200-pound covers have disappeared in three months in California, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Georgia as scrap metal prices pop up.

"It's a sign of the times," says Sgt. Jay Baker of the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office in Georgia, where 28 manhole covers disappeared in April and May. "When the economy gets bad, people start stealing iron."

It's the first year he has seen such thefts since he started with the department 16 years ago.

The price of heavy melt steel, the medium grade used for manhole covers, has increased from $329 per metric ton in January to $519, according to the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries in Washington, D.C. A thief can get $10 to $15 for a manhole cover, says Ryan Alsop, spokesman for the Long Beach Water Department.

Long Beach has lost more than 80 covers this year. People who have damaged their cars driving over manholes have filed claims with the city, Alsop says.

"Our No. 1 concern" is safety, he says. "A small kid can fall into these holes," which can be 20 feet deep.

It costs Long Beach $500 to buy and install a manhole cover, Alsop says. In Georgia, which has lower labor costs, the price tag is $200, Baker says.

ProducerCashDave · 07-01-2008, 04:54 PM

$10 to $15 haha

going through all that trouble to lift a 200lb lid

tony286 · 07-01-2008, 04:57 PM

they must be in amazing shape.lol

Peaches · 07-01-2008, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProducerCashDave

$10 to $15 haha

going through all that trouble to lift a 200lb lid

Meth makes you Superman!!

We don't have manholes or manhole covers in my 'hood ;)

D Ghost · 07-01-2008, 04:58 PM

hahah thats a good laugh for the day

2012 · 07-01-2008, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProducerCashDave

$10 to $15 haha going through all that trouble to lift a 200lb lid

then they smoke it up and need to lift another lid 20 minutes later in between gas siphoning safaris ...

ProducerCashDave · 07-01-2008, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peaches

Meth makes you Superman!!

We don't have manholes or manhole covers in my 'hood ;)

Spunky · 07-01-2008, 05:02 PM

The scrap dealers should be charged for accepting that stuff and lose their business licenses.It's a epidemic here too.They even resorted to stealing a statue that we've had standing for almost for 30 years

spacedog · 07-01-2008, 05:03 PM

I just read an article a couple days ago where someone was cutting sections of railway track to steal

After Shock Media · 07-01-2008, 05:05 PM

A business license means nothing anyways and often is not needed if your outside of city limits. They should more likely get fined at a crazy rate for accepting obvious items. Not like the thieves can make a manhole cover look different first.

CyberHustler · 07-01-2008, 05:05 PM

dav3 · 07-01-2008, 05:05 PM

Imagine hitting that hole with your car!

quantum-x · 07-01-2008, 05:06 PM

They should try coming to Paris.
People have been going into the metro tunnels, and stripping 5 of the 6 HV lines out. Leaving one line means that the trains can still run, but the next one that passes will melt out the remainder.

They can get 1 cubic meter of copper per tunnel section.. big dollars.

Crazy bastards are doing it in the live tunnes though..

ProducerCashDave · 07-01-2008, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dav3

Imagine hitting that hole with your car!

bignasty · 07-01-2008, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spunky

The scrap dealers should be charged for accepting that stuff and lose their business licenses.It's a epidemic here too.They even resorted to stealing a statue that we've had standing for almost for 30 years

most places as long as its general scrap (not aluminum, copper,stainless) you just go back and dump it the dealer doesnt see what you bring.

mikeyddddd · 07-01-2008, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tony404

A thief can get $10 to $15 for a manhole cover, says Ryan Alsop, spokesman for the Long Beach Water Department.

It costs Long Beach $500 to buy and install a manhole cover, Alsop says. In Georgia, which has lower labor costs, the price tag is $200, Baker says.

Is that saying the labor costs for installing a manhole cover is $300 in Long Beach? ($500-$200)

Fuck! What a business opportunity.

Buy the stolen manhole covers from the crooks for $10-15. Charge Long Beach $315 to re-install them. The city saves $185 and you pocket $300 profit.

The manhole covers are back in place. The crooks steal them again. You buy and re-install over and over again for recurring income.

camgirlshide · 07-01-2008, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikeyddddd

Is that saying the labor costs for installing a manhole cover is $300 in Long Beach? ($500-$200)

Fuck! What a business opportunity.

Buy the stolen manhole covers from the crooks for $10-15. Charge Long Beach $315 to re-install them. The city saves $185 and you pocket $300 profit.

The manhole covers are back in place. The crooks steal them again. You buy and re-install over and over again for recurring income.

or the ones stealing them now are the ones who sell them for $500 with installation (total profit $500)

Daruma · 07-01-2008, 05:35 PM

This has been happening in Central and South America for years...

Just last week in Costa Rica - someone stole over 1km of fiber optic cable in the middle of the night - estimated cost to replace was something like $25K.

Here they love to steal the guard rails on the bridges and other obtainable metals

mikeyddddd · 07-01-2008, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by camgirlshide

or the ones stealing them now are the ones who sell them for $500 with installation (total profit $500)

Why would the city pay someone $500 when someone else would do it for $315?

(Unless, of course, the higher bidder was a relative or campaign contributor.)

crockett · 07-01-2008, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spacedog

I just read an article a couple days ago where someone was cutting sections of railway track to steal

You gotta be fucking kidding.. How fucked up can people get.

Cities should just do a few spot welds on the covers. That's what they do during Indy Car and F1 street races.

papill0n · 07-01-2008, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by quantum-x

They should try coming to Paris.
People have been going into the metro tunnels, and stripping 5 of the 6 HV lines out. Leaving one line means that the trains can still run, but the next one that passes will melt out the remainder.

They can get 1 cubic meter of copper per tunnel section.. big dollars.

Crazy bastards are doing it in the live tunnes though..

wow ripping live stuff is nuts

Socks · 07-01-2008, 06:42 PM

Police should just pay a crackhead to go sell some scrap stuff to the dealers, then go arrest the dealers right after the sale for buying city property

baddog · 07-01-2008, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crockett

You gotta be fucking kidding.. How fucked up can people get.

Cities should just do a few spot welds on the covers. That's what they do during Indy Car and F1 street races.

Makes it tough to get inside.

MandyBlake · 07-01-2008, 06:50 PM

just look for a bunch of really buff people and you'll know who's doing it. lol

Warren · 07-01-2008, 06:54 PM

Im always amazed where it begins, do these guys call there friends/cousins in other states and give them there latest brain wave ideas, lol

fatfoo · 07-01-2008, 06:59 PM

here's a manhole:

halfpint · 07-01-2008, 07:00 PM

lol they do it over here in the UK and they steal lead flashing from the church roofs and even leaded church windows have been stolen

crockett · 07-01-2008, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baddog

Makes it tough to get inside.

Na just a simple grinder will pop off the spot welds, doesn't have to be a big weld bead just a few small spots.. They just need a power source, to power the grinder to grind them off. Then again battery power has come a long way so maybe they could use a cordless grinder.

Warren · 07-01-2008, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by halfpint

lol they do it over here in the UK and they steal lead flashing from the church roofs and even leaded church windows have been stolen

Priests are too busy with the alter boys, they dont give a fuck, well not about the roof or windows that is.

Why · 07-01-2008, 07:36 PM

steal 200 pounds of steal and get 10 bucks.... i wonder what a whole train car is worth?

siccmade · 07-01-2008, 08:32 PM

Quieter than ripping the siding or gutters off of someones house...

OG LennyT · 07-01-2008, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikeyddddd

Is that saying the labor costs for installing a manhole cover is $300 in Long Beach? ($500-$200)

Fuck! What a business opportunity.

Buy the stolen manhole covers from the crooks for $10-15. Charge Long Beach $315 to re-install them. The city saves $185 and you pocket $300 profit.

The manhole covers are back in place. The crooks steal them again. You buy and re-install over and over again for recurring income.

dav3 · 07-01-2008, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Socks

Police should just pay a crackhead to go sell some scrap stuff to the dealers, then go arrest the dealers right after the sale for buying city property

baddog · 07-01-2008, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MandyBlake

just look for a bunch of really buff people and you'll know who's doing it. lol

I used to have to open manholes regularly. I can assure you this is a team effort. If not, let him be, it isn't worth it.

XoXo Cash · 07-01-2008, 11:05 PM

well the people buying these things should start being held responsible...because if they quit paying ppl money for these things, then ppl wont be stealing them anymore...geez! i would seriously freak out on someone if i drove over one of those things and fucked up my car!!!

Socks · 07-01-2008, 11:09 PM

It's scary as shit, and can cause accidents by A> hitting them B> avoiding them.. I've driven a bit in Mexico City, and sometimes they're missing there, or there's just a hole that might as well be a sewer... heh.. Right on the fuckin highway too! It's not nice to have to worry about stuff like that when you're drivin :/ As if driving in Mexico City isn't fucked up enough...

baddog · 07-01-2008, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Warren

Im always amazed where it begins, do these guys call there friends/cousins in other states and give them there latest brain wave ideas, lol

They read about it on forums and see it in the news.

Quote:

Originally Posted by crockett

Na just a simple grinder will pop off the spot welds, doesn't have to be a big weld bead just a few small spots.. They just need a power source, to power the grinder to grind them off. Then again battery power has come a long way so maybe they could use a cordless grinder.

I will be honest, I don't remember looking at the manholes when I was in FL. However, speaking for So Cal, you sure make it sound easy.

#1. If the spot welds are too easy to get off, what will stop the thieves? If all they need is a cordless Black and Decker they will just steal one of those. So,

#2. The welds pretty much have to be a PITA to remove, which means a power source required (they can run it off the car battery), but it will be time consuming.

#3. Union workers charge a lot and take breaks.

Sometimes they may need to get in there quickly.

Here is another problem. Lots of times the phone company will have manholes that are accessed five day a week. Do they spot weld those at the end of every day?

baddog · 07-01-2008, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XoXo Cash

well the people buying these things should start being held responsible...because if they quit paying ppl money for these things, then ppl wont be stealing them anymore...geez! i would seriously freak out on someone if i drove over one of those things and fucked up my car!!!

Imagine on a motorcycle.

DWB · 07-01-2008, 11:18 PM

In Thailand they actually cut LIVE WIRES down so they can steal the cable.

They also steal the bolts off of light poles, the same bolts that hold them to the ground. They will steal all but 1, just enough to hold it up until a strong wind comes and blows it over.

uno · 07-02-2008, 04:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baddog

I used to have to open manholes regularly. I can assure you this is a team effort. If not, let him be, it isn't worth it.

A friend of mine in Queens works for the phone company and does it also. Maybe the manholes are lighter on this coast, but he doesn't have too much of a problem.

Manowar · 07-02-2008, 05:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peaches

Meth makes you Superman!!

We don't have manholes or manhole covers in my 'hood ;)

by the power of METH

Vicious_B · 07-02-2008, 05:48 AM

How doesn NO ONE notice someone walking away with a manhole cover? Even if they do it late at night the way the world is today streets are very rarely totally empty

baddog · 07-02-2008, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by uno

A friend of mine in Queens works for the phone company and does it also. Maybe the manholes are lighter on this coast, but he doesn't have too much of a problem.

It is no problem taking it off the manhole with the proper tool, but to just lift it up and put it in the back of a truck would take a pretty strong dude.

07-01-2008, 05:02 PM	#8
Spunky I need a beer Industry Role: Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: ♠ Toiletville ♠ Posts: 133,949	The scrap dealers should be charged for accepting that stuff and lose their business licenses.It's a epidemic here too.They even resorted to stealing a statue that we've had standing for almost for 30 years __________________ *YOUR INFORMATION HERE*

07-01-2008, 05:05 PM	#10
After Shock Media It's coming look busy Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn". Posts: 35,299	A business license means nothing anyways and often is not needed if your outside of city limits. They should more likely get fined at a crazy rate for accepting obvious items. Not like the thieves can make a manhole cover look different first. __________________ [email protected] ICQ:135982156 AIM: Aftershockmed1a MSN: [email protected]

07-01-2008, 05:05 PM	#11
CyberHustler Masterbaiter Industry Role: Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 27,052	__________________ “If you can convince the lowest white man he’s better than the best colored man, he won’t notice you’re picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he’ll empty his pockets for you.”

07-01-2008, 05:05 PM	#12
dav3 Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 7,348	Imagine hitting that hole with your car! __________________ Webmasters :: Juicy Ads :: ACWM :: Crak Revenue :: Money Tree

07-01-2008, 05:06 PM	#13
quantum-x Confirmed User Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: ICQ: 251425 Fr/Au/Ca Posts: 6,863	They should try coming to Paris. People have been going into the metro tunnels, and stripping 5 of the 6 HV lines out. Leaving one line means that the trains can still run, but the next one that passes will melt out the remainder. They can get 1 cubic meter of copper per tunnel section.. big dollars. Crazy bastards are doing it in the live tunnes though.. __________________ PrettyInCash.com - BoozedGFs.com - TeenGFs.com - JizzGFs.com- MilfUploads.com -

07-01-2008, 04:53 PM	#1
tony286 lurker Industry Role: Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: atlanta Posts: 57,021	Thieves lifting manhole covers Thieves lifting manhole covers Lids attract street crime as prices for scrap metal soar, economy sags By Stefanie Frith USA TODAY Cities and counties are battling manhole-cover thefts, a crime spree that police tie to the weak economy. Hundreds of 200-pound covers have disappeared in three months in California, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Georgia as scrap metal prices pop up. "It's a sign of the times," says Sgt. Jay Baker of the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office in Georgia, where 28 manhole covers disappeared in April and May. "When the economy gets bad, people start stealing iron." It's the first year he has seen such thefts since he started with the department 16 years ago. The price of heavy melt steel, the medium grade used for manhole covers, has increased from $329 per metric ton in January to $519, according to the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries in Washington, D.C. A thief can get $10 to $15 for a manhole cover, says Ryan Alsop, spokesman for the Long Beach Water Department. Long Beach has lost more than 80 covers this year. People who have damaged their cars driving over manholes have filed claims with the city, Alsop says. "Our No. 1 concern" is safety, he says. "A small kid can fall into these holes," which can be 20 feet deep. It costs Long Beach $500 to buy and install a manhole cover, Alsop says. In Georgia, which has lower labor costs, the price tag is $200, Baker says.

07-01-2008, 04:54 PM	#2
ProducerCashDave Confirmed User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: In Your Brain Posts: 3,983	$10 to $15 haha going through all that trouble to lift a 200lb lid __________________ 15 Exclusive Sites By Top Brand Name Studios! $25 PPS \| 50% Revshare \| 5% Webmaster Referral David K. \| Account Manager \| www.ProducerCash.com ICQ: 480757149 \| david AT producercash DOT com TOLL FREE: 877-549-1112

07-01-2008, 04:57 PM	#3
tony286 lurker Industry Role: Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: atlanta Posts: 57,021	they must be in amazing shape.lol

07-01-2008, 04:58 PM	#5
D Ghost null Industry Role: Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 9,820	hahah thats a good laugh for the day

07-01-2008, 05:03 PM	#9
spacedog Yes that IS me. Bitch. Industry Role: Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 14,149	I just read an article a couple days ago where someone was cutting sections of railway track to steal

07-01-2008, 05:35 PM	#18
Daruma Confirmed User Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: PandaLand™ Posts: 3,494	This has been happening in Central and South America for years... Just last week in Costa Rica - someone stole over 1km of fiber optic cable in the middle of the night - estimated cost to replace was something like $25K. Here they love to steal the guard rails on the bridges and other obtainable metals __________________ RIP TD

07-01-2008, 06:42 PM	#22
Socks Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: May 2002 Location: Toronto Posts: 8,475	Police should just pay a crackhead to go sell some scrap stuff to the dealers, then go arrest the dealers right after the sale for buying city property

07-01-2008, 06:50 PM	#24
MandyBlake The one and only! Industry Role: Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 17,761	just look for a bunch of really buff people and you'll know who's doing it. lol __________________ Mandy's Playhouse Her First Fat Girl If you're interested in promoting my sites, ICQ me! 178411921

07-01-2008, 06:54 PM	#25
Warren Confirmed User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Porn Valley Posts: 2,284	Im always amazed where it begins, do these guys call there friends/cousins in other states and give them there latest brain wave ideas, lol __________________ ICQ:208-603-797 www.altdollars.com

07-01-2008, 06:59 PM	#26
fatfoo ICQ:649699063 Industry Role: Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 27,763	here's a manhole: __________________ Send me an email: [email protected]

07-01-2008, 07:00 PM	#27
halfpint GFY's Halfpint Industry Role: Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: UK Posts: 15,223	lol they do it over here in the UK and they steal lead flashing from the church roofs and even leaded church windows have been stolen __________________ Get FREE website listings on Cryptocoinshops.net

07-01-2008, 07:36 PM	#30
Why MFBA Industry Role: Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: PNW Posts: 7,230	steal 200 pounds of steal and get 10 bucks.... i wonder what a whole train car is worth?

07-01-2008, 08:32 PM	#31
siccmade Confirmed User Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Canton, Ohio Posts: 1,641	Quieter than ripping the siding or gutters off of someones house... __________________ Adult XXX Hits - Adult Traffic Exchange. Get free traffic!

07-01-2008, 11:05 PM	#35
XoXo Cash Confirmed User Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: USA Posts: 257	well the people buying these things should start being held responsible...because if they quit paying ppl money for these things, then ppl wont be stealing them anymore...geez! i would seriously freak out on someone if i drove over one of those things and fucked up my car!!! __________________ Leah - XoXoLeah Affiliate program - XoXoCash Custom Selfies - iCuteSnap

07-01-2008, 11:09 PM	#36
Socks Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: May 2002 Location: Toronto Posts: 8,475	It's scary as shit, and can cause accidents by A> hitting them B> avoiding them.. I've driven a bit in Mexico City, and sometimes they're missing there, or there's just a hole that might as well be a sewer... heh.. Right on the fuckin highway too! It's not nice to have to worry about stuff like that when you're drivin :/ As if driving in Mexico City isn't fucked up enough...

07-01-2008, 11:18 PM	#39
DWB Registered User Industry Role: Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Encrypted. Access denied. Posts: 31,779	In Thailand they actually cut LIVE WIRES down so they can steal the cable. They also steal the bolts off of light poles, the same bolts that hold them to the ground. They will steal all but 1, just enough to hold it up until a strong wind comes and blows it over.

07-02-2008, 05:48 AM	#42
Vicious_B Confirmed User Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 2,564	How doesn NO ONE notice someone walking away with a manhole cover? Even if they do it late at night the way the world is today streets are very rarely totally empty __________________ ICQ# 419 775 271