Criminal Tip #87,687: The Warning Signs Really Mean It

San Jacinto, CA

Not long ago tweakers could be confident that they had a steady supply of cash from copper. Cable from lampposts, pipes from houses and construction sites. Good money when there's a housing boom and contractors are looking for ways to cut costs. A little questionably procured pipe means fatter margins.

Everyone's happy, except for the people it's stolen from, of course. But who cares about them? The engines of capitalism must grind on.

But as the economy has tanked so has the market for copper. It also isn't as easy to steal from a construction site these days. There aren't as many construction sites to steal it from.

The money dries up. The stupid get desperate. Or the other way around.

And then this happens.

Two men were were found electrocuted late last night out by a blown transformer. Seems they opened it up and started yanking cables, which is, well, a bad idea. They pump through, what, 10,000 KVA? Electricity doesn't like being fucked with.

So remember, if you're ripping off copper, and these days why would you, there are better places to get it. Like ones that won't kill you.