Someone stole my downspout from the outside of my garage!
By dragon54u
@dragon54u (31636)
United States
November 25, 2009 8:19am CST
I had a dog emergency yesterday and while Cookie was sleeping I went outside to pace around and worry. I noticed that the plastic downspout extension was out of place and walked over to the garage only to see that someone had torn off the downspout to the gutter! 
Now I have to replace it and those things are expensive, at least to me. There have been so many incidents of people stealing copper and aluminum but I never thought that someone would come and rip my downspout off my garage! They got my neighbor's, too.
Have you had a theft of such things recently? It's getting so bad here in my area, there are so many people unemployed and desperate for money. This doesn't excuse theft, of course, but I find myself hoping they at least had children to feed or some other good reason to steal from me.
Now I have to replace it and those things are expensive, at least to me. There have been so many incidents of people stealing copper and aluminum but I never thought that someone would come and rip my downspout off my garage! They got my neighbor's, too.
Have you had a theft of such things recently? It's getting so bad here in my area, there are so many people unemployed and desperate for money. This doesn't excuse theft, of course, but I find myself hoping they at least had children to feed or some other good reason to steal from me.3 people like this
9 responses
@jewels49 (1776)
• United States
25 Nov 09
We haven't personally had anything stolen, but my neighbor had the copper pots he kept plants in stolen. Recently someone actually tried to steal a street light, the police think for the same reason..the copper wire inside of it. Our unemployment rate is sky high here and I know people are struggling more than they ever have, but that's not an excuse for such bad behavior.
I'm afraid as we get closer to Christmas, these kinds of things will get worse.
2 people like this
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
25 Nov 09
I'm in Ohio and it's really bad here. I've quit looking for a job. I have a small income and I make do with that, I'm one of the lucky ones so will leave the jobs for those who need them worse than I do.
No, it's no excuse for such behavior but people can get very desperate. I would hate to see my children hungry or have no coats for winter. Thank God my sons are all grown and on their own, this is a bad time to be a child in so many areas.
I hope things get better soon, but I doubt it.
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
25 Nov 09
hi jewels and I thought it was only here in California wow
my son has been out of work for almost a year and we were
evicted from our apartment because we got behind in rent, we
just simply ran out of money. so we are not alone?
1 person likes this
@jewels49 (1776)
• United States
25 Nov 09
Michigan here, the county I live in has an unemployment rate higher than the national. We are lucky too because hubby has a good job, He works away from home and is gone 270+ days a year, but he's working, In our neighborhood there have been so many foreclosures property values are being reduced by half.
Ther are no jobs and it is heartbreaking ot see people you have known for years losing what little they managed to accumulate. Things aren't geting any better here either.
2 people like this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
25 Nov 09
Hi there Dragon
I hope that your Cookie is feeling better
I have not had anything stolen no, I am lucky in the Area I live in
The Crime Rate on Burglary has gone up to in the UK because of the economy but it is no excuse I am sorry as everybody was and still is in the same boat
I am so sorry this happened to you on top of your other worries
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
26 Nov 09
Cookie is feeling much better, thank you! I was so worried I would lose her, she was so sick. The drainpipe is trivial compared to that.
I have some ideas to improve the drainpipe configuration on my garage, so this was probably a blessing in disguise. 
1 person likes this
@cutepenguin (6431)
• Canada
26 Nov 09
Wow! It's getting really bad out there if people are this desperate. Another annoying part is that it's going to cost you more to replace it then they are going to get when they sell it.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
26 Nov 09
Yes, I was looking at drainpipes last month and they are very expensive! I needed to replace the downspouts on both sides of the garage anyway, so that saved my having to pay for one to be hauled away.
I hope whoever took it got what they needed from it. Things are so bad here that I just can't get angry, I feel so sorry for people who are that desperate.
@dorisday1971 (5657)
• Philippines
26 Nov 09
Did you use ordinary PVC for your downspout? If so, I couldn't find any reason why somebody has to steal it for they can't be sold in junk shops. Copper and aluminum have monetary values but a PVC has none.
In our area, plastic garbage cans outside our gates are the favorite objects of stealing.
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
26 Nov 09
People steal plastic garbage bins?! I've never heard of that!
My downspout was aluminum so someone could have gotten a couple dollars for it. I would like to replace it with PVC that has no value.
It was so strange to discover that someone would steal a drainpipe! Desperate times, desperate actions.
@Humanalex (31)
•
25 Nov 09
Don't stress, I've been robbed loads of times. Twice my radio from the car and once attempted house robbery that failed. There will always be these type of people and you can do nothing about it!
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
26 Nov 09
Yeah, I know. It's just a shame that there is such desperation out there that people would tear a drainpipe a garage.
Hey, welcome to myLot!
@pmbhuntress09 (1608)
• United States
28 Nov 09
A lady close to Raleigh called the police a few weeks ago because she found out that someone had ripped the aluminum siding off her mobile home. Come to find out she had gone on vacation and came home to seeing just insulation and 2x4s on her mobile home. I have to say that is the worst I have heard so far around here. We have lost some gas from our cars lately. My husband went out about a month ago and his Van was empty yet he had put $20 worth in the night before.
We had a gas grill stolen that we had on the porch it was stainless steel. So I do have to say that around here even it is happening. I was just shocked they didn't steal the 3 bags of soda cans I had under the porch.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
28 Nov 09
People are becoming desperate as their unemployment benefits run out and there are still no jobs. I guess we have to be a lot more safety and security conscious now. I just wish nobody felt they had to steal.
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
25 Nov 09
dragon54u oh yes when I was at El Dorado gardens there was a rash of thefts of copper piping from our air conditioning units outside our apartments, they never caught the people as they came in at night, and into a locked gate facility.I mean you had to have two keys one for the auto entrance, one for the pedistrian gate.
So how did they get in,probably had a person from inside the apartments to let them in,unless someone had carelessly left one of the gates open. that did happen occasionly.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
25 Nov 09
Copper theft is here, too. Some thieves even peeled off part of the copper dome of one of our beautiful old churches! 
This has been happening for a few years now but theft of metals has gotten much worse the past half year as the jobs drain away.
I'm glad nobody was attacked or injured because of the thefts when you were living there!
This has been happening for a few years now but theft of metals has gotten much worse the past half year as the jobs drain away.
I'm glad nobody was attacked or injured because of the thefts when you were living there!
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
25 Nov 09
Hi dragon...I hope Cookie is doing better today. I have never experienced this kind of theft but I certainly would be very ticked off if someone did that to me. It seems like nothing is safe from thieves these days and the downspout is something I had never thought of until I read your discussion. If it's possible, screw the replacement one in at the top when it's put up. At least that will make yours less attractive to thieves since they want to grab and go.
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
25 Nov 09
Cookie is feeling better, thank you so much!! She actually ate a little today and she will be fine.
I wonder if they make PVC downspouts? I'm thinking of buying enough pipe so that I can bring it around into the yard and it'll be high enough that it can't be reached except with a ladder. This could actually be a good thing, because one of the spouts on the other side is leaky and very, very old so I'll replace it, too. And if I figure out an improved placement it'll help the garage's foundation last longer.
@rebelann (111174)
• El Paso, Texas
10 Feb 20
I could excuse stealing food because when people steal food it's usually because they have children to feed. But ripping off items from peoples homes I can't excuse, there's no reason to do that to somebody.
