Item Redeemable for One Free Trip Downtown, See PD For Details

[Argabarga]

Got a call from the police the other night for one of our trucks to come downtown to the corner of This and That streets.

No, it wasn't for a DUI driver who's car needed impounded

Nor was it for an accident

It was because an alert police officer out on patrol had noticed a young gentleman walking down the sidewalk, with one of our "PRIVATE PARKING - VIOLATORS TOWED" signs slung over his shoulder, post and all, with a little bit of dirt still holding on to the bottom where he'd liberated it from the ground it had stood guard over.

The officer quickly pulled over and asked the gentleman if he had a good excuse for going somewhere with our property.

He did not.

He soon found himself in the back of the police car, and the sign ended up on the back of our truck, heading back to the garage where it can sit until we figure out exactly where it was stolen from.

Mr. Souvenir Hunter most likely now has a nice fresh misdemeanor charge for his troubles, for a sign that was only worth about $50.

And to think, the students have only been back for a week!

[AmbrosiaWriter]

Probably trying to remove the sign and get rid of it so he can use the excuse, "BUT THERE'S NO SIGN!"

Oooorrrr a fraternity hazing/test thing.

[barainga]

This sorta reminded me of the beginning of Coolhand Luke. That didn't end well either.

[Argabarga]

Any man who steals one of my posts spends a night in the box

[Talon]

He stole a signpost?

Maybe he was playing too much of the original Diablo?

[bainsidhe]

I'll admit I knew some college freshmen who stole road signs. Generally of the cover-a-ditch variety (it's okay, the hole wasn't THAT big!/sarcasm). Although I know of at least one stop sign. Still a dumbass thing to to, but they were smart enough to do it when no one else was around.

[BlaqueKatt]

Any man who steals one of my posts spends a night in the box



I stole your post....but I'm a woman

[Tiberious]

See, I don't understand why the various state DOTs don't just sell the signs they take down and replace.

As long as they're in decent condition, as in not bent all to hell, or faded past visibility, I'd think they could recoup some of the costs.

I mention this because some 15 years or do ago, my father worked at a place that was essentially a lumber yard for steel and various metals. One of the other things they did was buy scrap. This was out in the 'country', away from the city, but someone with the local township came by and asked him if they wanted some old signs they'd replaced. He offered to buy, but they said 'take it for free', and left them there.

Well, my brother and I went and took a look when we were out there one day, and each picked one out. Some were banged up really bad, but the one I ended up choosing says "No Parking Any Time →". I figure if the state DOT allowed them to sell these, I could see myself paying somewhere between $15 and $20 for it. Maybe a premium for a bigger one, or an interstate shield.


Edit: Although, if I were of a mind to do some sign lifting, I know at least one that I think I'd be doing a favor by swiping and forcing replacement on. It's a 'direction to interstate' installation, and the shield is faded so bad it can hardly be read even in daylight.

[Marmalady]

Any man who steals one of my posts spends a night in the box

Did he get his mind right?

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

See, I don't understand why the various state DOTs don't just sell the signs they take down and replace.

Even if the signs were too faded to read, there is a group of people who would kill to be able to legally purchase those signs at or a little more than the cost of the aluminum.

SCAdians.

www.sca.org

Those signs with a little hammering and pounding make great shields and armor pieces.

[ADeMartino]

Those signs with a little hammering and pounding make great shields and armor pieces.

An old Ford Falcon of mine had badly rotted floors, and we discovered that a steel road sign (we'd found it in a barn) made an excellent repair panel.

[Dave1982]

See, I don't understand why the various state DOTs don't just sell the signs they take down and replace.

As long as they're in decent condition, as in not bent all to hell, or faded past visibility, I'd think they could recoup some of the costs.

Probably because they don't want anyone to take the signs and then hang them up by a road somewhere and cause problems.

Bill Cosby in his "Driving in San Francisco" bit mentioned something like that upon seeing a stop sign at the top of a particularly steep hill.

"You gotta be kidding! NOBODY in their right mind puts a stop sign at the top of a hill like this. I figure the city didn't do it; some nut went down to the Army-Navy store got himself a stop sign, has a spy glass....'Look Martha we caught somebody down there.'"

[mharbourgirl]

I'm one of those (former) college students who participated in stealing a stop sign/street name sign from a rural intersection. In our defense, we were really, really drunk and it was 3 am. Buddy leaned against the sign and it fell over. The sign was old and so faded you couldn't actually see it in your headlights until you were practically on top of it. So we dragged all 200lbs of it home.

We figured then and still do that we did a public service, because it wasn't 2 days before a brand new shiny sign was up, this time firmly cemented into the ground instead of just shoved into the gravel.

Sign is still hanging in the old shed, too - street name was misspelled so it makes us happy to know that the new sign is properly spelled.

[Mystic]

Considering the school, I can't say I'm surprised. :P
Most of them are there to get drunk and party.

[dalesys]

He probably figured, "I'll hang this over my bed in the dorms, so's dem bitches will know to keep dem booties movin'1'