Thieves saw off over 500 parking meters

[TinmanMS6]

Thieves saw off over 500 parking meters

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ATLANTA - It's bad enough that thieves have walked away with more than 500 parking meters in downtown Atlanta this year.

What's worse is that police are not even investigating.

Sandra Jennings, deputy commissioner of the city's transportation office, says Atlanta has had to replace about 39 per cent of its parking meter inventory this year because of the thefts.

Although the meters don't contain much money, it costs about $500 to replace each one.

Despite the thefts, little is being done to catch the thieves because city officials do not file police reports on the stolen meters.

Police say thefts that are not reported are not investigated.

"Someone was actually cutting the pole and taking them so they could somehow open the meter head to get the money out," Jennings said of the missing meters.

The city is replacing them with more secure meters, she said, adding that the parking meter program pays for itself.

 

[BLACKMS3]

I feel more stupider now....

And I would damn sure hope the meters pay for themselves!! Otherwise what the hell would be the point?? Screw the public out of money for the hell of it??

 

[TheDirtyGoatee]

Really... I mean they aren't smart criminals. Don't they know their raising their own taxes by doing this? Oi vey. If I ever see someone sawing off a meter in front of me, I may maul them with the front bumper of my car and continue until their heads clunk against my back bumper. I might even hit R just to ensure I remove stupidity out of Atlanta.

 

[TinmanMS6]

I'm pretty sure they're going to get more money out of one meter than it's going to impact their taxes individually for the year.

 

[MakeMeGoFast]

If they pay taxes at all.

 

[DeadGeneration]

Hmmm... I guess I never thought of it for some reason. Although it's a thick metal post or bigger it's definitely hollow. It's not going to pay off though, all those coins! ugh! I'm just trying to figure out where they would get the meters without being caught. Here they are all on the beach which are near condos or hotels and people are always out, and then there is the city which in the time it would take to remove one meter at least more than one person would pass by within range of even the best ones.

I wonder if they are stealing one a night, depends on how long it's been going on for probably ten a night. No way you can do that many without burning up your blades and stuff, and then you still need some kinda power source so maybe they got a generator on a truck - but that would be even louder I would think and suspicious unless they have a cover over the truck bed.

Also, gotta be two people doing it together at least. Would be stupid if they had more than two because splitting the profits would be a waste of time and even more worthless, but you couldn't really do it with just one person.

 

[BLACKMS3]

I bet they use a hacksaw and a guy named "felix the arm"

 

[Velocifero]

These must be the guys that are always in line at the coinstar machine at Publix. Seems like they are there everyday. Wish they'd saw out a couple of the toll booths on 400. Would be harder to do but the payoff would be so much greater and then maybe they'd take down the toll that was supposed to be gone 10 years ago.


You know what they are preposing now? Kinda like a happy hour special to try to reduce traffic flow at certain times. They want to offer a lower toll rate from certain time frames to try to get people to leave earlier. Traffic rarely affects me in the morning anyways because of the schedule I run, but saving me a quarter isn't really worth it. If they want to do that it should be a larger time frame. like all tolls between midnight and 7A or so are reduced, and maybe 2P-4P as well, but I just see that as shifting the peak traffic to 4P instead of 5P.

 

[TinmanMS6]

These must be the guys that are always in line at the coinstar machine at Publix. Seems like they are there everyday. Wish they'd saw out a couple of the toll booths on 400. Would be harder to do but the payoff would be so much greater and then maybe they'd take down the toll that was supposed to be gone 10 years ago.


You know what they are preposing now? Kinda like a happy hour special to try to reduce traffic flow at certain times. They want to offer a lower toll rate from certain time frames to try to get people to leave earlier. Traffic rarely affects me in the morning anyways because of the schedule I run, but saving me a quarter isn't really worth it. If they want to do that it should be a larger time frame. like all tolls between midnight and 7A or so are reduced, and maybe 2P-4P as well, but I just see that as shifting the peak traffic to 4P instead of 5P.

That's ridiculous. It's not like the tolls are high enough that a discount would really influence people that much. I guess I don't know how many tolls there are on 400, though. I've only driven through the one just inside the perimeter.

 

[noclue119]

400 toll is cheap. 1.00 dollar round trip. Come to DC. I have to take the toll road to work (not that i go that offen). 2.50 each day. If i go to lunch far away that is another 1.00.

Can't wait to get back to the cheap life style of the south.

 

[Velocifero]

I wasn't trying to say ours is expensive, just bitching that it is still even there. It literally was supposed to be gone 10 years ago. The damn thing makes almost $500,000 a day, and at $0.50 a shot that's incredible. What I don't get is the sunshine highway or whatever it's called in Fla where there is a toll nearly every mile and they have different rates for the different booths. ???

 

[BLACKMS3]

I pay $4 a day to go 10 miles....

 

[aMaff]

I wasn't trying to say ours is expensive, just bitching that it is still even there. It literally was supposed to be gone 10 years ago. The damn thing makes almost $500,000 a day, and at $0.50 a shot that's incredible. What I don't get is the sunshine highway or whatever it's called in Fla where there is a toll nearly every mile and they have different rates for the different booths. ???

yeah, that's effing ridiculous. I've driven through there a few times. It's got a few names... but the Florida Turnpike is what it is

 

[autoxes]

but florida also has no taxes, just federal. So if you can avoid the turnpike altogether, you save some big $ yearly

 

[DeadGeneration]

hand saw and arm - that's not worth it either unless you're trying to get a workout at the same time - 2 for 1 deal. lol

 

[autoxes]

sawzall mang.

 

[aMaff]

yeah, cuz that's quiet

 

[BigB]

quiet + fast = oxy-acetylene torch.... FTW!

 

[ALIEN3T]

Depending on the pipes. A pipe cutter.
Its pocket size, problem sit ther and pretend to tie your shoe, JUst attach turn the knob make a few spins, turn again a few spins around. and it will cut soon. Probalby over a few days get a few going so as you arnt there long. If ther are wires inside. A pair of dykes.

 

[Kosh]

I will get off 400 1 stop before the toll and get back on 1 stop after taking some back roads just to avoid paying to .50. It is more about principle than saving money.