WTF? #229

Man-Hole Cover Thievery 

The term "man hole" just seems wrong... I hear beavis and butthead in my mind saying "...heh, heh - he said man-hole..."

Anyway - it seems that stealing copper piping and brass fixtures aren't enough for some people in my town, now they going for the man-hole covers in the street.

My question is - who would by these things?  They clearly say where they are from and if you can't recognize a city-owned man-hole cover, you're an idiot...

From the article:

"Police say thieves have been hitting obscure spots in the city with little foot or vehicle traffic and taking off with the weighty disks in the middle of the night. Investigators believe they are trying to redeem the iron covers for meager cash returns at recycling centers or scrap yards.

Ken Graunstadt, owner of Delta Scrap and Salvage in Oakley, says his operation accepts iron scraps, but workers would be immediately suspicious of someone trying to sell manhole covers.

"There's no excuse for anyone having one of those," Graunstadt said.

He estimated a manhole cover might fetch $15."

Written by Cassandra Braun, Contra Costa Times.