Chavs and Shiney Metal......
What most people don't realise is that the number one crime (apart from nut-job religious types trying to blow themselves and everyone else up) that the BTP (Transport Police) are currently combatting (I say combatting - more like making up nice powerpoint slides about it) is copper metal theft.

There are people out there... (not that Darwin needs any proof, but still) who use hacksaws on 110v electrical cable. 110volts - half your domestic supply if that. But just remember that the 110volts of juicy goodness is what keeps the signals and all that other 'safety-related' stuff working properly. You know, the devices that stop me driving my train into the arse-end of another train, squishing me and probably you or your beloved into little tiny pieces.

All because some city trader thought that inflating the prices of raw metals would pay for yet another new Porche.

And don't get me started on the twats who last tuesday, used a car to smash down some fencing, smashed open an armored door and then cut into a very thick cable (about 6inches thick - lots of copper!) and blew lots of circuit brakers... causing delays and cancellations to trains..

They cut into a 33Kv feed circuit. I'm not surprised that Network Rail or the police couldn't find any trace of the chavscum....
( HSDriver was probably still at work on, Wed 20 Feb 2008, 1:44, 4 replies)

The thing that really surprises me about this
is where do they sell it? I'm fairly certain that there can't be multitudes of processing plants across the country all in on the deal, ready to melt this copper down, no questions asked... but then the alternative is that wholesalers are buying it, and selling it on to builders, plumbers and other tradesfolk, no questions asked.

Maybe I'm naive, but it makes no sense. I half expect to turn a corner one day and see some bloke's house made entirely out of copper.
(Captain Skippy pooed in a bag and left it on your doorstep, Wed 20 Feb 2008, 8:34, closed)

I heard
that all the scrap metal in the UK now ends up in China so they can convert it into goods to sell back to us. Most of the scrap yards in and around Manchester (apparantely) are Chinese owned...... I maybe wrong of course.
(Pork2311, Wed 20 Feb 2008, 12:41, closed)

I work in Indianapolis, and...
Last summer, thieves stole copper tubing from the back of the refrigerators at our local food bank. Nearly half a million dollars worth of donated food was spoiled as a result. Worst of all, this was the third time this happened to that particular food bank.

www.theindychannel.com/news/13784915/detail.html
(chase, Wed 20 Feb 2008, 18:54, closed)

We feel your pain
I'm on one of the shittiest train lines in Melbourne, and we've been getting a bit of that...
www.theage.com.au/news/national/cops-catch-copper-culprits/2006/11/22/1163871439703.html
(Emily Bruce-Dickinson http://jovialfellow.blogspot.com/, Thu 21 Feb 2008, 10:28, closed)