Copper theives. Somebody shot.

[speedsix]

...it's hard to be dragged kicking and screaming into the 20th century...(and I couldn't understand why when I said that last year, everyone around was laughing at me)...I'll catch up...if the rest of you will slow down...

[philip964]

When I worked on schools, it was often that the chiller coil for the cafeteria walk in refrigerator/freezer would be stolen off the roof over the weekend. So not only was there the expense to replace the unit, but a couple thousand dollars of food was lost in addition to the bag lunches that had to be prepared off site until the unit was replaced and could be restocked with food.

[mamabearCali]

Some of these guys are nuts. My DH works for the power company. He says if a line goes down in the inner city they have to get there really really fast or someone will steal it whether it is live or not. Every once in a while you will see a story about some idiot being fried by their stupidity. From what my husband says it is a hard death as you slowly cook after the initial shock from the inside out. Really nasty.

[jimlongley]

You folks would not believe how often we have to install new outdoor condensors because some thief cut the lines and ran off with the unit. It is crazy!!! They get maybe 100-150 bucks scrap at most and the unit can cost anywhere from 1600 and up to replace! It reminds me of when they break my 150 dollar window to steal my 25 dollar mag light from the front seat.

It can cause you to put a note on the unit telling them that if they will leave the unit alone and knock on the door, you will go ahead and buy it back from them before they steal it.

One of my tasks in my late unlamented job for a small Dallas company that had a contract with the city, was "design" a security camera system for a housing authority apartment complex to catch the thieves in the act. Great stuff, except they also stole the cameras. Of course being somewhat technologically challenged they were not aware that the camera going away did nothing to the existing recording on the central server. I put design in quotes because the project was implemented using off the shelf components and off the shelf planning and all I basically did was go out and look for suitable places to mount the cameras.

Of course the gaping holes in security that existed when we went out to do the site surveys went on existing, leading to lots of video.

[Dave2]

Some of these guys are nuts. My DH works for the power company. He says if a line goes down in the inner city they have to get there really really fast or someone will steal it whether it is live or not. Every once in a while you will see a story about some idiot being fried by their stupidity. From what my husband says it is a hard death as you slowly cook after the initial shock from the inside out. Really nasty.

Geez, you'd think the others would learn...

[Excaliber]

Some of these guys are nuts. My DH works for the power company. He says if a line goes down in the inner city they have to get there really really fast or someone will steal it whether it is live or not. Every once in a while you will see a story about some idiot being fried by their stupidity. From what my husband says it is a hard death as you slowly cook after the initial shock from the inside out. Really nasty.

Geez, you'd think the others would learn...

These are the kinds of folks who learn only from personal experience.

By the time they catch on to the lesson, it's too late to use the knowledge.

[Dave2]

Some of these guys are nuts. My DH works for the power company. He says if a line goes down in the inner city they have to get there really really fast or someone will steal it whether it is live or not. Every once in a while you will see a story about some idiot being fried by their stupidity. From what my husband says it is a hard death as you slowly cook after the initial shock from the inside out. Really nasty.

Geez, you'd think the others would learn...

These are the kinds of folks who learn only from personal experience.

By the time they catch on to the lesson, it's too late to use the knowledge.

Oh I know — my coworkers and I watch those "World's Dumbest Criminals" shows at work all the time and laugh our various appendages off — but it bugs me when people make life-changing/ending decisions simply because they don't take a half-second to ponder the potential consequences of their actions.

[mamabearCali]

Famous last words "hey y'all watch this!"

[Keith B]

Famous last words "hey y'all watch this!"

You forgot the '..hold my beer ..' part. LOL