Theft Obstacle

A particular dumpster from power utility company has been one of my best sources of metal . Evey metal is used by power utility companies
Needless to say the work trucks have the real raw material . For 3 years I enjoyed along with others the luck of the dumpster find and it was some times like
WOW
I hit a warning #2 Obstacle,
as I said the work trucks are getting lifted of Copper spools,
now the workers are being instructed to tell scrappers Keep out of the dumpster .

As yes I was told yesterday and had to leave .
Yet last month I was first told the same ( about theft)
but the worker saw my honest intent and said police know to look at our yard now But if you want , it's ok just be prepared



For What ?
I wondered and stayed
I'll take my chances I figured

So I am at - one OK stay and One go away (yesterday)
I can work the situation but I do wonder what will be when or if the
Black & White finally come wile I work .
The peaceful feeling is gone

Low life thief's mess it up for us all.

go to the power company and ask them if you can pick their dumpster, or better yet ask them if you can drop off a container inside their yard where it is secured and you will pick up ever so many days.
if the say you can pick from their dumpster get the name of the person who said yes or better yet a letter with their written permission naming you as someone who has access to the dumpster.

I feel the run is over , many a time ,plenty of loose fast grabs . And often I would stay in there for 2 hrs painstaking-lee undoing nuts and bolts foraging
It was a gray area .Trust . The permission was a simple node - how you do - An actual letter never happen these electric utility men earn GOOD bucks
they will not risk there job with a permission letter . based on the obvious , me getting injured with there permission .

These companies earn so much money, us scrappers are just like fly's around a dumpster pardon the pun. Persistence is the only way . I am honist I take apart the bolts from the wood . thats work . walking over to the truck and taking a spool thats easy .

I knew this day would come see about 2 years ago I was hitting the dumpster and I saw a big spool of copper on there truck , I took a card board box and covered it up
but heck I am not there every day , nor is that my responsibility , so even I knew sooner or later some A hole was gonna go the easy rout

I did tell a worker once I covered up a spool for them and " you know people do steel copper " in one ear out the other .
wile I do get permission as needed , for the most part i'm that 50 something guy with the scrap truck , that with ZERO GUILT
drives and explores thats me .
I will persist I will not let the bad scrappers win . They took thousands from me on my property , now they also want to destroy a source for me and others
they can go to H***

I am not going to ask for a permission letter, BUT I will write a short letter to explain how a real scrapper dismantles a bolt for .25 so little by little
200 pounds of short a pound at a time . Thats respect and shows appreciation for 1 pound , A thief ain't interested in the pound , but sure he'll
take my end result . Thats what they need understand.

I have several electrical CO-OP's that I clean up. Forget Foremen and linemen, they have no say. You need to go to the top if you want permission to clean their scrap pile. Find out who the GM or CFO is, put on your best clothes, and arrange a meeting with them.

Talking points:
1. They don't want to pay a lineman to sort/haul scrap.
2. Board members/customers love that all scrap is being recycled.
3. If GM says "our guys sell the scrap, and use the money for their Christmas party." - You say: "how much waste, fraud and abuse is going on?" "If linemen are profiting from scrap, they will cut two feet extra to splice a line, when one foot would be plenty.
4. You are providing a service. Electrical companies pay high insurance rates. Scrap laying around is a hazard. Every electric/power company is inspected by their insurance provider. A clean scrap area= lower rates.

If anyone can think of any more, I'd love to add them to my brochure. hah

I have had a similar situation.

But the quote that "the police know to look at our yard now.. But if you want its ok, just be prepaired"

Means to me one thing. And that is that its ok for you to dumpster dive there.
But be prepaired that if the police see you, be prepaired.
Like, have ID, have a business card from the company.
Have some sort of way of showing them this 'scrapmetalforum' site.
Have a nice attitude.
Have a few questions for the police, like "who do I get in contact with to report xxxxxxx?"
Have a small brush and shovel so you can show that you clean up after yourself.
Have something interesting to teach the police.
Have a few facts to tell them.
Have a card from the police of your police contact.
Have a card with the ph number of your 'contact' within the power company.
Have a card of your buyer/scrapmetal dealer.
Have a idea on how much you make, how you prepare the metal and what prices you do get for your
metal.
Be prepaired for them to take a photo of you doing what you do.

When I first started, I did get a few visits from the police and I had all of the above...
In the mean time I got to teach them how to scrap a microwave oven and why they stop working after opening the door when it going.
How to scrap a crt tv and where the big copper is, and why they can be so dangerous when under vacum.
How I get rid of the tube.
How to fix the volume control on a electric stove, how to find a going control from a used one and to only use the blue plastic ones as replacements
How to fix the most common dishwasher and how to find out/ see where its wearing and where the sharp bits of metal are (the load bearing surface of the stainless steel spinner. Look at the teflon washer for wear.) And how to find another spinner for free.
How to replace the damaged element on their electric stove and where to buy a cheap used one with. Guaranteee.
Who also uses this dumpster/area, who's the baddys and who is driving several different cars with the same number plates.... That bit of info removed my worst competition for metal.
How much actual physical work I do to get the metal and carry it home and how much work I do to prepair it for sale.
Who else actually has permission to scrap where I do, why, and what they do for $ and how many kids they support.
Who the next door neighbours to the scrap area/dumpster, to be quiet because their bedrooms right there. And don't worry about that neighbours light turning on now as now is when he gets up to do his prayers. What religion he is too....

Now. The police only stop when they have something to ask, like "have you seen xx car or heard xx noise?" Or if they are bored or need to write something in their time sheet, or such.

Yup , Having true scrap knowledge is important . The few police that have interviewed me , did seem curious about scrap concepts . I gladly gave a lecture .

remember pjost the scrap area in this case is the dumpster . . From there truck to the dumpster. me being in the dumpster is pure courtesy on there part ,
Since I work for a trash company . I am quite sure the driver of roll off , dumps load and thats all . But at the dump some one might actually grab some of the easy metals . still I am sure not with the detail that I pursue .

Guys I will tell you this when I am in work mode and I am removing trash from my collection pickup truck to main truck that compresses .
I see it and I cant keep up
- Can's - Can's - Al , Tin -
Resources are wasted
Even I a consummate scrapper can't keep up .
Trash Trash Trash it's just to much' - I smell of it - Maggot juice - grimy
often those little critters get on your arms pants I am invading there world
I can't wait for winter and NO MORE MAGGOTS

I save plenty like appliances and still much gets passed me
I know its a bit off topic , But I can say what we scrappers do find would of most likely end up being buried

I heard California has a system of scrap recapture and trash used as fuel from methane to actual fire to make electric .The term chimney smoke scrubbers
https://www.google.com/search?q=chim...ml%3B205%3B377

A key element in converting trash to safe fuel . Trash is truly a wasted fuel resource in way to many locals

Pjost, just one more point; cleaning up the scrap even if you have to pay a little might eliminate some possible thefts which might lower their insurance bill.