Couple caught on camera stealing drain cover

[Keegan]

Ok all you intelligent people - why are manhole covers round?

So it doesn't fall into the hole.

 

[Venomous]

Can't we make them out of hardened plastic or something?

nope. there is also a market for recycling plastic. :/

 

[wolverine_dcp]

Ok all you intelligent people - why are manhole covers round?

 

[daveza]

Ok all you intelligent people - why are manhole covers round?

Uhm so you don't have to pick them up to move them ?

 

[LazyLion]

I blame the scrap metal dealers...

You have to be careful how you say that though.
There are some reputable scrap dealing companies out there and they are going to great lengths to keep their names clear and to deal with the scourge.
The scrap metal dealers that are processing the stolen stuff are usually not properly registered companies and move their premises frequently.
We have a lot of them here in the Joburg CBD and from the outside it just looks like a rundown building.

But the reputable dealers have well established businesses and clean, well marked shop fronts.

 

[Type RSA]

Skelm nerf!!

 

[Rickster]

So it doesn't fall into the hole.

Ok ill admit, thats a fscking good answer.

 

[Dan C]

Ok all you intelligent people - why are manhole covers round?

Because the hole is round ...


....
A round manhole cover cannot fall through its circular opening, whereas a square manhole cover could fall in if it were inserted diagonally in the hole.
Circular covers don’t need to be rotated or precisely aligned when placing them on the opening.
A round manhole cover is easily moved and rolled.
Human beings have a roughly circular cross-section.
Round tubes are the strongest shape against the compression of the earth around them, so the cover of the tube would naturally be round as well.
It’s easier to dig a circular hole.
Round castings are much easier to manufacture using a lathe.

 

[spiff]

scum of the earth - both off them! - some poor person is going to walk past at night and fall in causing serious injury like ripping off their knee cap! not to mention ripping off a cars front suspension!

bought a dash cam and was parked at the PP platekloof shopping centre. saw this dushbag porsche owner parked half in / half out and skew in the parking bay so I parked 1 bay down from him and turned the cam to record who gets into it.

went for lunch, came out did not notice anything odd - porsche owner was gone. went home - downloaded video and guess what! another dushbag in a black 4x4 jeep with "sahara" stickers on the oversize fenders, decided he will fit in between me and porsche and in the process clipped my left hand mirror!

no damage as the mirror has a little given built in, but it just goes to show what happens when you're not around.

couple of times I get an asswipe cutting in front of me and when I point to the camera they suddenly catch a wake, put their hazards on as if to say "sorry" or turn off quickly!

 

[RazedInBlack]

WTF are they gonna do with a drain cover?

Seriously? The thought of stealing a drain cover would never have crossed my mind. People have too much time on their hands.

 

[Electric]

Ok ill admit, thats a fscking good answer.

It's not a good answer, it's the right answer.

 

[Mike Hoxbig]

Lol Kempton. Desperate times...

 

[thestaggy]

Drug money?

 

[Keegan]

WTF are they gonna do with a drain cover?

Seriously? The thought of stealing a drain cover would never have crossed my mind. People have too much time on their hands.

Are you serious... Drain covers were being stolen way before copper thief... Drain cover thief sparked the whole metal thief industry...

But from what I know, scrap yards won't take drain covers, it will need to be cut up and stuff...

 

[Keegan]

It's not a good answer, it's the right answer.

 

[konfab]

You have to be careful how you say that though.
There are some reputable scrap dealing companies out there and they are going to great lengths to keep their names clear and to deal with the scourge.
The scrap metal dealers that are processing the stolen stuff are usually not properly registered companies and move their premises frequently.
We have a lot of them here in the Joburg CBD and from the outside it just looks like a rundown building.

But the reputable dealers have well established businesses and clean, well marked shop fronts.

And that is the problem, it is basically a matter of trusting someone's word vs your own profit.
If I had a say in the matter, I would personally ban the dealing of scrap metal in this country. The amount of harm it causes is far more than the benefits it creates.
Case in point: Cable theft.

 

[LazyLion]

One little drain cover makes news because somebody got it on video... but ALL of our drain covers AND the storm water drain housings AND the building gutter pipes were stolen in one night about two years ago throughout the entire suburb of Jeppestown here in Joburg. They have yet to be replaced. The manholes have tyres or those yellow plastic traffic barriers in them to warn people. But the holes in the pavement remain from the stormwater gutters and drains missing.

We also have NO working robots or street lights because those have ALL been cut down and the cables stolen.
To us it is just business as usual. The council has obviously given up trying to even replace them.
I'll take some photos for you guys.

 

[Westmore]

Fcking low, times must be bad or that next hit of tik is calling.

 

[Space_Chief]

“Cover theft is a serious challenge that is costing the city a lot of money. We will act on the matter once we have seen the video,” Gadebe said.

Elsewhere they'd probably rather say that it's a serious health hazard as someone can fall in and get killed that way. I guess it's just the bucks the municipality cares about.

 

[diesel]

Can't we make them out of hardened plastic or something?

We already do, but with government tenders going to the greedy BEE companies i think they would rather keep supplying ones that get stolen to keep the demand high.