Poor lad

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what a shame

apparently this must have been some sort of bullying or hate thing. Or why would anyone make the effort and haul away several used washers? Personal attack if you ask me, most probably by someone who knows that bloke.
I hope those bastards get their lousy cowardish asses hit really hard. Some five years for theft and another 8 years for hate crime would be appropriate plus complete restoration on the expense of the evildoer.
And I also hope that this young man never loses his faith in what he can do.
Crossing my fingers the stolen models can be retrieved and sent back to him.

*disgusted headshakes here* and my best feelings for the young man who was robbed.
Joe
 
I cant see it being a hate crime in any way, it will probably have been someone with a flatbed transit looking for scrap metal to weigh-in as you see flatbed transits running round with old washers/railings etc all the time

Just a shame they were left in open view and not in a shed or something like that
 
Folks steal steel from all; it crosses all races.

RE :
"apparently this must have been some sort of bullying or hate thing. Or why would anyone make the effort and haul away several used washers? "

Here in the usa steel scrap is worth a lot. Thus it really does not matter whether one is from Podunk, Vulcan, or a Klingon, or a blue race with 2.33 kids and drives a Simca 1000.

*IF* that stuff that is steel is steal-able; folks will try to nick it to make quick cash.

Thus if one has something taken apart and behind a locked fence; folks will knock one ones door asking/begging to haul it off for free. If the steel object is not locked up; folks who are ballsy will nick it to grab the cash. If it is a house being built with copper pipes, folks often have to have a security guy to stop copper theft. Post Katrina folks would enter ones house with bolt cutters to steal copper pipe and wire, thus one uses a 12 gauge to shoo them off. Steel might sound not worth much, but many will remove what appears to be abandoned items; or if ballsy will venture into folks yards to remove items. Neighbors may not care either; its that scrappy item that has bugged them for years; thus a ballsy scrap guy will appear offical and neighbors are glad to see the neighborhood improved.
 
Scrap metal is often a cash business here

On this side of the pond, scrap metal guys are often paid in cash or use many different tax id's; thus the whole thing is extremely tax free.

The metal scrap recyclers often ask few questions.

The scrap guys might remove some sell-ible items from a scrapped mower, washer etc and sell them on ebay. Then the stripped device they collected fetches more per pound since the remaining hulk has a higher percentage of steel.

The folks who nick steel items for scrap metal do not ponder the owners beliefs; they worry more about getting rocksalt in the bum, getting bit by a dog, getting caught.

Here to be called a hate crime; there would have to be some way the scrap guy would target A versus B person for a reason.

Here folks who steal stuff for scrap metal are often just folks who are taking advantage of stuff that is easy to steal. Many are just scavengers, your stuff is easy to nick thus they added income all in cash; thus their 99 weeks of unemployment is not effected:)! :)

Metal stealing also occurs in well to do areas. Folks will crawl under you car to steal the catalytic converter in California; one that the "California Only" costs 1500 bucks. ie folks have rings of folks who steal cars and components to get expensive car parts.
 
Here scrap steel fetches roughly 35 cents per Lb.

Thus if you have some easy to nick steel by your house; 100 Lbs/45Kg will yield 35 US dollars with a few minutes work using a hand truck.

If one works at McDonalds serving fries; one might make 9 dollars per hour, but this might halt ones unemployment; or drop ones retirement payments; since the government knows about this legal work.

Crap abandoned in unknown fields gets removed by these scrap guys, thus many places are "cleaned up" and de-junked by the ballsy scrap guys. The line gets crossed when folks are stealing off of private property.

Often there are thefts where a scrap guy will appear and remove items in a house or field where the owner does not live there all the time. It might be some old retired guy; folks are on vacation. There is a junky engine block on the houses side and it gets nicked for scrap iron. Driving by folks think it is some offical cleanup!
 
scrap metal

pretty much true, I didn't even think of this.
(as old metal isn't that well paid for here)

my first thought was: gosh! someone doesn't like him (for being an Asperger patient or for collecting and restoring washers).

Nevertheless, a sad story indeed.
 
You'd be amazed at the kind of junk that people will steal, particularly with the high prices of scrap metal at the moment.

On the Asperger's syndrome thing. I honestly think that that label is being applied to people way too frequently. There are always people who like tinkering with machines or collecting things. They can just as easily be scientists, researchers, etc.

I mean, if you consider that most people who study a subject to PhD level have to basically eat, breath and sleep the subject, why do we not consider them to be suffering from Asperger's syndrome?

I am strongly of the opinion that it's just a personality type that has been labeled a problem.

If people were all bubbly, non-focused, generalists society would never progress! Who'd do all the inventing and perfecting of technologies, machines, systems, language, software, art, poetry, literature, .... the list is endless!

We'd all just be happy bunnies who didn't do anything 'weird'.
 
Also if that kid was interested in say : soccer/football/baseball and knew everything and every stat about every game, nobody would bat an eyelid about it.

Likewise, if he were interested in cars, birds, computers, collecting pokemon cards, online gaming ... you name it!

However, washing machines, trains or anything a bit 'non-cool' is somehow seen as a bit weird.

It's not surprising that people are interested in something like a washing machine as it's one of the most complex mechanical devices that you will encounter in a typical home. At least, in the sense that you can actually open it, repair it and figure out how it works.

Most other home appliances have very few moving parts or are totally electronic and solid state.

Washing machines and to a lesser extent dishwasher and dryers are pretty much the most mechanically complex devices that we own other than cars.

The only thing that I would have concerns about is that domestic appliances can be pretty dangerous. I wouldn't like the idea of a 12 year old working on machines on his own. They can cause serious injuries i.e. moving belts / high speed motors / sharp surfaces and high voltages.
 
It's bad here too. You don't find washers and dryers sitting out anymore. In fact when I did a machine swap for a neighbor back ~2 months ago, 3 people within 5 minutes asked me what my plans were for the washing machine that was sitting out front my neighbor's house. If I hadn't been on the porch when different people saw it, it would have grown wheels and disappeared. People in the neighborhood usually know not take things out the yard. For those that don't there's a set of ferocious teeth lurking about. And if that don't stop them, a paint ball gun works good too. If that don't work-> bean bags hurt too. Now, since people do know that I get in washing machines they will beg me for the scrap that I set aside. Usually if I don't have much (under 200LB.) I will give them some, because I know their situation.

But yes I remember a few years ago one of the bigger air conditioners at the University was taken by scrappers. It was a 3 phase unit that weighed at least 500LB. They had to have taken it over a weekend, as That Monday it was gone. I'd say that you have no fear, to take bolt cutters and snap the electric lines!

mrx:
I have no problem with a 12 year old with domestic appliances. As long as that person is taught to respect the forces that they are working with, As long as they have been taught proper safety, and as long as there are safety mechanisms place, should a situation occur.
I fixed my first washing machine when I was 6 years old. I experimented with 1/3Hp to 3/4 HP split phase motors starting when I was 10. I remember getting in Whirpool/Kenmore BD washer motors. GOt in a few dryer motors, but remember the Whirlpool BD motors being the easiest to wire. Yes, I was taught to respect electricity, and other forces in motion, as well as safety procedures.

It's unfortunate that this happened to the young man, but times are getting hard. People are getting desperate, and when those conditions come up, you find out some of the true colors of a person. Put a person under extreme stress, you'll find out how a person ticks
 
Well said, mrx

I couldn't agree more with you about the way people judge "unusual" interests.

And I share your concerns about the risk of home appliances for an unsupervised 12 years old boy.

I wish that boy a long and happy life with whatever he likes to play with: maybe he will become an excellent appliance engineer, really needed these days.
 
If the machines were on the premises like the back yard and not placed in an area for waste pickup-they should have been left alone-and a case of theft.And it does sound like the boy knows the hazards of the machines-otherwise I don't think the parents would let him persue his hobby.I wwasn't as forunate-I couldn't work on such things until I was much older.electronics stuff like radios and TV's and such.I am glad his neighbors and freinds "donated" the machines to him to replace the ones taken.I wonder if his Dad and others taught him the hazerds and how to work on the machines.
 

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