Aug 23, 2011

Ninja Turtles Broke; in Brownsville?

 -image special to BPS

The Monitor featured a bizarre article this week in which it was reported that several manhole covers have been stolen from the city of Brownsville.

As of the date on the article, there have been seven manhole covers stolen right off the streets. Authorities believe they are being stolen, and sold for scrap metal at local salvage yards.

On the surface, this may seem like a pretty funny crime, and those committing it may easily be filed under the “Dumb Criminal” category, but the undertones associated with this report are pretty scary.

The economy is making criminals so desperate that they are now stealing large pieces of metal right off city streets. This reminds me of disturbing scenes in ‘Great Depression’ era movies where people would do things like take down advertising signs to build shacks to live in, or tear down white picket fences to burn as firewood.

Is this manhole theft story a glimpse of something disturbing bubbling-up under the surface?

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