It’s a sad state of affairs when junkies take to stealing from saftey equipment to pay for their fix.
http://www.eagletribune.com/archivesearch/local_story_067055258.html
http://www.eagletribune.com/punews/local_story_068001657.html
not only from railroads but from public works such as school buildings too. Ohio now has a law that a photo ID be shown when recycling materials. Alot of places also have installed cameras to get you license plate too.
stay safe
joe
Its typically not junkies in the addicted street person living in a cardboard box sense that are committed these thefts. In fact, some of the schemes are rather complex. While 99% of all property crimes are connected to drugs in some fashion, these sort of things are more about greed than addictions.
Funny anecdote. An SR (sh*t-rat) was scoping out a new light industrial development under construction to pillage. Among the intended targets was the heavy power line from main into the complex. Thinking that the line would be dead as the project wasn’t finished, he lowered himself into a manhole to try and remove the cable. Turns out–much to his surprise I’m sure–that the line was live, which the SR then ceased to be.
There have been several instances of these idiots trying to take out live wires.
They’ve even tried to steal and fence sculptures.
I see it all the time in the Gary/Chicago area scrappers will hop into gons for a little piece of aluminium or copper, In South Bend last year 4 people were murdered by the 5th person who they all broke into one of the old studebaker buildings and stole copper cable, there was also an incident of some people stealing the brass markers from graves, and my personal favorite my gun club had someone break the lock on the fence and cleaned-up all the brass casings, which is a good thing but they broke the lock on the gate funny thing is had they asked someone probably would have let them in just to do it but yes it is either poverty or drugs that encourage this behavior, funny thing is the scrap yards are supposed to get ID from the people selling but they rarely do, at my last job we bought out a rim company and managment decided to sell the 900-1000 aluminium rims left over and the scrap yard actually called my employer asking if I was legit or not so some actully follow the rules but not very often but with scrap prices the way they are its easy money
The comment about aluminum reminded me - I visited a live steam club. They said they’ve had problems with people stealing track.
Last fall I was finishing up a 3 car garage build, and had a 16ft alum latter and a 20ft one, both vanished over my lunch break. A week later a freind of mine was doing some plumbing at a new home and had a huge bundle of rigid copper water supply line stolen off the rack on his truck.
In central Illinois thay are even stealing the tin off sheds and roofs of tool sheds and out buildings. I have read about the stealing of power supply wire from the RR. I will bet before its done and over with one of these theifs gets killed or injured while they are stealing, and will sue the RR for money. Who wants to take that bet? LOL!