How Bad Are Things In East Saint Louis?
Be careful if you’re walking around in East Saint Louis. Manhole cover theft is on the rise. Fox 2 reports that because of the iron, thieves are stealing manhole covers at an alarming rate and frequently, the new covers are stolen within hours of replacement.
That’s just sad.
March 11th, 2008 at 10:20 am
I had heard of copper being stripped off new houses . . never manhole covers though.
March 11th, 2008 at 11:18 am
I really hope the thieves are stealing them to buy food, but that may just be me being optimistic…
March 11th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
I have heard many stories in Kansas City of people stealing copper. Main targets include the ground wires used at transformer stations the power company uses about the city. Not sure how smart it is stealing ground wires off 440volt lines, but there you go. At least with them there is little risk to those around them. Manhole covers on the other hand could be catastrophic if hit at 40mph in a car (with no seatbelt or airbag).
Thankfully we have minimal issue with such here in the Highlands of Scotland, at the moment. Fort William is still 20 or 30 years behind American cities, where people can chat with their neighbours, walk after dark without fear of being shot or mugged, and generally a great place to live.
March 11th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
Holy cow! How do you even go about stealing one of those? There have to be easier things to steal.
March 11th, 2008 at 11:22 pm
I live around an hour south of St Louis. When we moved here two and a half years ago, the advice my best friend gave us about driving in St. Louis was this: “If you see a sign that says ‘City of Champions’ stop the car and turn around.” I love cities, but the key is always knowing where to avoid.