Scrap guys coming to your door

[69bronzeT5]

About 20 minutes ago, a guy came up to our door asking if we had any old car batteries. My dad's girlfriend's sister answered the door. She said no. Then the guy asked if we had any scrap metal and she's like no. The guy then said 'well you guys are mechanics, you have to have something' and starts looking around while still standing at the door. She's like we have nothing and if we did we'd take it ourselves. He's like okay and walks away. His friend is sitting in their beat up Ford truck on the street. I look out the window and I can see the guy in the truck pointing and mouthing something to the other guy. The other guy made a point of walking down our front lawn beside my Durango. As he's doing this he's looking at my spare set of Charger wheels sitting on the side of the house. He turns around like he's gonna grab them. I step outside and look at him and he turns around and heads back to the truck. I watched as they went down the street door to door asking for scrap metal. Not sure about the other scrap guys out there. I know a few and they are all cool. However, I'm pretty sure if I didn't step outside those wheels would of disappeared. Now I'm gonna put them in the backyard behind the fence. Then that led me to think, my dad had an old broken pressure washer and a bucket of tools sitting beside the house overnight back in September and not only did the tools vanish but the pressure washer did too. So my question is does anybody here have scrap guys coming to your door? If so, what are they like? This guy seemed pretty pushy.

[Chad L. Magee]

No, can't say I have ever had that happen.  Around here, the scrap guys know me quite well and only hit me up when they find a car part to sell.  I did have a problem with people "barrowing" batteries off of an old ATV, until I modified one just for them to take.  It has not happened since.....

Of course, it does help that we have neighbors who are willing to shoot at intruders if needed (as posted on their property).  They do a good job watching our side of the fence too......

Did you get a license plate number on the pickup to give to the police, incase more comes up missing?.....

[resq302]

Definitely file a report with the police.  There may be more incidents like this in your town or surrounding down than you are aware of.

[twodko]

Roger that.

Tom

[69bronzeT5]

I didn't happen to get their licence plate number.....I never even thought about it.

[Tilar]

You have a description of the truck and the two guys.. someone else might turn in the plate number.

[resq302]

at least give them a description of them and the vehicle.

[stripedelete]

Rims???  Wasn't there just thread about some one getting his whole fleet hauled to the scrap yard?

Old timers used to tell us stories about how the Gypsies would keep you busy at the front door while their accomplices cleaned out the barn.

[moparstuart]

go check your home air conditioner coils   

[Charger RT]

i keep all my scrap metal either in my garage or between my garage and house. That way they have to get pretty far off the road to steal it. Scrap theft has been going on quite a bit here. They haven't got any of my scrap metal but they did steal all my firewood this year. I had to start a new pile behind the house.
Tim

[ipstrategies]

In the summer we had a guy electrocute himself trying to steal copper wire. In the bad areas of Cleveland they showed people ripping siding of house and walking to scrap place to sell. I would make sure to keep an eye out.

[stripedelete]

In the summer we had a guy electrocute himself trying to steal copper wire. In the bad areas of Cleveland they showed people ripping siding of house and walking to scrap place to sell. I would make sure to keep an eye out.

I think a couple guys in Cleveland blew themselves up when they cut into a gas line in a recently vacated house.  The news was very PC on story, but it was easy to figure out what happened.  If we're lucky they were the same guys. 

[Cooter]

Awe Dammit, Scrap prices must be on the rise again...And here we got about a truck load at the shop and can't get our deadbeat to even come get it...If those two guys KNOW your mechanics, then I'd lock everything up cause they WILL be back sooner or later and you WON'T be around the second time to see 'em guarantee'd...Vulchers looking for free money..I mean, if you were gonna throw it away, fine...But, to demand you give them their next tank full from your yard is gettin' up there next to "shotgun coming out the window" time..

[Silver R/T]

got a few of those junkies hanging around this town. Of course where I live now they don't make it up here

[69bronzeT5]

Awe Dammit, Scrap prices must be on the rise again...And here we got about a truck load at the shop and can't get our deadbeat to even come get it...If those two guys KNOW your mechanics, then I'd lock everything up cause they WILL be back sooner or later and you WON'T be around the second time to see 'em guarantee'd...Vulchers looking for free money..I mean, if you were gonna throw it away, fine...But, to demand you give them their next tank full from your yard is gettin' up there next to "shotgun coming out the window" time..

Yeah my dad's girlfriend said how do you know your mechanics? Besides the Duster in the driveway and the few tires and wheels beside the house, nothing says that?

[69bronzeT5]

got a few of those junkies hanging around this town. Of course where I live now they don't make it up here

That's what the odd thing is.....we live in the rich fancy part of Surrey. No where near the crappy part. A lot of people here drive brand new BMW's and Lexus' and Jaguars.

[oldcarnut]

Maybe it's not really scrap metal they're looking for.  Could be a front to see who's home and when.  Then if they do get something scrap they can haul if for cash anyway.  Gives a little time to check out the rest of your home or backyard. Every now and then we hear warnings of people posing as magazine or whatever salesmen knocking on doors just out casing the area knowing most everyone doesn't want anything they're pretending to sell if they do answer.  Keep the eyes open and neighbors alert.

[Black Charger]

last year when my wife and I were cleaning out the basement, we hauled an old refrigerator out to the curb to be pciked up by the city and disposed of (they have a service here for residents where you can put up to 3 large items out at the curb and the city comes by to pick them up, free of charge, so long as you call them ahead of time). Well anyway, the night after we put out the fridge, my wife saw a rather scruffy-looing guy in a beat-up pickup just pull up next to the fridge and load it up. I made it a point to put machine screws in the doors to discourage the neighborhood kids from playing inside of it, and the guy grabbed an ax and busted the doors open before he loaded it. He didn't even ask, he just grabbed it and took off. We weren't mad since we wanted it gone anyway, but this guy didn't even ask and when my wife went to talk to him he acted like he was in a hurry. She said it was funny watching him wrestle the fridge by himself into the back of that truck. An old school desk that was rotted out from sitting in the damp basement was set out as well, but it disappeared the day after we set it out also. I guess the metal frame was worth something as scrap as well.

[Todd Wilson]

I'd call the cops and be real careful of your stuff around the house. Anything left outside that could be taken to the scrap yard could disappear.


Todd

[resq302]

Again, working in the field that I do, there has been a lot of scam type diverionary thefts going on.  Particularly people claiming to be some kind of service personnel.  Be it tree companies wanting you to show them your property line to get you away from your house or door, water company, phone company, cable company, you name it.  Only thing I can suggest is that if it is anything not expected or "the norm" call your police.  Ive seen too many people get nailed by this kind of thing.  We recently had a diversionary theft at a car dealership!  These people will stop at nothing.

[451-74Charger]

http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story/House-Explosion-Caught-On-Surveillance-Video/OByMP6G7C0CrQhY8MoU9jQ.cspx

mms://entriq0lax2wm.fplive.net/entriq0lax2/wcpo/video/26EXPLOSION_FLOKY_000031p6000117p8.wmv

(its a safe link. I work for the company that posted it.)
Anyway, It looks like someone was stealing pipes and left a gas pipe unchecked...
BOOOOM