This isn't the first tiem I've heard this story. Desperate people try to remove copper from HVAC units and other large capacity power installations to sell the valuable metal. How valuable? A recent arrest here in my town had the suspect get 10 years for $.38 a pound. Yup... that's $.38, not $38.00... This picture was the aftermath of a man who tried to cut high voltage wires out from an energized building.
The sad thing is these guys are so desperate that they risk hitting places that are still energized. There's not much hope for you if you bite your bolt cutters into a live 220 power line. Ouch.
I'll take a different tack, though. Desperation often leads to stupidity. I know the job market is abyssmal right now, but can we please have a bit of common sense before we go on an "alternative" money making venture? Maybe I'm too harsh, but I cannot possibly in my wildest dreams see how anyone could figure that this is a good idea. Potential electric death for a pennies per pound. Not good odds, my friend.
Those of us with jobs are thankful, or we should be. Perhaps we need to step up as a community and try to establish a municipal day-labor organization for out of work people to show up and do some work for the public good for whatever we can afford to pay them. That will deflect having to pay to fix the damage and repair the lives of the families who lost brothers or sisiters to a bad choice.
Chip Grefski
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