# Have you ever experienced jobsite vandalism?



## gnuuser (Jan 13, 2013)

Cricket said:


> View attachment 128412
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 yes a few times we set up hidden cameras (self powered night vision)
and a few times coating the wire with crystal iodine (leaves a deep brown stain on the hands that takes weeks to wear out)
so its easy to find out who did it.


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## gpop (May 14, 2018)

Years ago we found a chain saw melted into the large wiring feeding a mcc. Nothing was stolen as i guess the person quit after the saw burnt up. 

Still cost a boat load of money to fix the damage. Person might have got away with it had he realised there were 2 sets of feeders.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

YES more than one time.

Biggest PIA was having all the wires in a huge control panel cut off at the point they entered the panel.


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## telsa (May 22, 2015)

Everything.

Theft.

Sabotage.

I even had one trooper taking my personal tools out of my sacks... as I walked and talked.

BIG mistake. There are such things as mirrors!

Bam! Gone.

I'd count as to how many careers ended this way, but my figures can't run that high.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

I don't know if you call it vandalism or people with no upbringing, but there's been more than one occasion where someone has relieved their #1's and #2's in larger conduit stub ups. Hogs. I don't know how you're supposed to respond other than swab it out and move on with your life.


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## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

The picture is not vandalism Cricket. That is a motor stator and motor shops pull those wires out and recycle the wire. Thats not something most thieves will take the time to do. Also most thieves do not have a burn out oven, so they would be fighting a lost cause trying to get the magnet wire out of it.



Yes, I have seen it and sometimes it was actually the guys on the job that did it.


Edit...lol That might be vandalism. Looks like they gave up.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

MDShunk said:


> I don't know if you call it vandalism or people with no upbringing, but there's been more than one occasion where someone has relieved their #1's and #2's in larger conduit stub ups. Hogs. I don't know how you're supposed to respond other than swab it out and move on with your life.


That's when a camera and returning the evidence to the seat of the perps truck is in order.


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## gpop (May 14, 2018)

A electrician i work with was telling me about a guy that was unhappy with his job doing land out on a new construction site. He landed hundreds of wires with out stripping any of them. He quit a few days before they brought power on to the site.

He said that they called the cops on the guy as it was willful vandalism.


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## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

gpop said:


> A electrician i work with was telling me about a guy that was unhappy with his job doing land out on a new construction site. He landed hundreds of wires with out stripping any of them. He quit a few days before they brought power on to the site.
> 
> He said that they called the cops on the guy as it was willful vandalism.



That is one creative and timely fellow.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

gpop said:


> A electrician i work with was telling me about a guy that was unhappy with his job doing land out on a new construction site. He landed hundreds of wires with out stripping any of them. He quit a few days before they brought power on to the site.
> 
> He said that they called the cops on the guy as it was willful vandalism.


That's silly. I would blame the supervision. 

We have had some MCC terminations mysteriously come loose or moved over one terminal overnight. The result was a few house electricians being called in for OT to "fix" the problem.


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## matt1124 (Aug 23, 2011)

Cricket said:


> The thieves who do this typically slip (or break) in, cut off any available wire and make a break for it with bits and pieces of wire still hanging in place. In some cases, they actually damage the rest of the structure trying to get as much wire as they can grab.


*WAIT. THAT'S WHAT THAT IS?!*

Who wrote this???


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## LARMGUY (Aug 22, 2010)

Was at a construction site in Kansas City. I was next to a sparky terminating the conductors coming in to the building from the pad outside. As he grabbed a big conductor, it zipped out of his hand, down in the conduit. Well, sparky and I turned to each other and then made for the door. When we opened the door we saw a guy in a jeep and a log chain ripping out through the field with about 100 ft of cable behind him.


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## batwing44 (Feb 2, 2010)

telsa said:


> Everything.
> Sabotage.
> 
> Theft.
> ...


Do tell.


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## eddy current (Feb 28, 2009)

MechanicalDVR said:


> That's when a camera and returning the evidence to the seat of the perps truck is in order.


I was told a story about some painters using stub outs as a urinal while having their lunch in an electrical room. When it was discovered by the electricians, they waited until the painters were back in the room having their lunch and then cleaned out the conduits with an air compressor sending all the contents back up to the painters! :vs_laugh:


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## LARMGUY (Aug 22, 2010)

I would have paid $50 to see that!


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## zac (May 11, 2009)

LARMGUY said:


> I would have paid $50 to see that!


I don't think you know what your saying...?

You'd be in the room! 

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


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## LARMGUY (Aug 22, 2010)

I understand completely. I'd be watching with great interest from afar. 
If I couldn't see from my safe vantage point, I would definitely be around when they came pouring out of the room. I'll bet you would have heard them screaming like a little girl.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

When I was a helper the EC I worked for was the only open shop contractor on the site, we were messed with sometimes in a fun way, sometimes not so fun. Had someone fill all our stubs up with mastic.

Doing residential condos the workers from south of the border ware peeing and crapping in ALL the electric closets they also were crapping in bathtubs. 

Plumbers and electricians revolted and threatened the GC that this CRAP (pun intended) had to stop.

It slowed up but never really stopped.


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## bill39 (Sep 4, 2009)

eddy current said:


> I was told a story about some painters using stub outs as a urinal while having their lunch in an electrical room. When it was disžcovered by the electricians, they waited until the painters were back in the room having their lunch and then cleaned out the conduits with an air compressor sending all the contents back up to the painters! :vs_laugh:


This wasn’t vandalism, just two drunkard painters who happened to be brothers. We were remodeling a college dorm. No students had moved in yet.

Most of us all ate lunch in one of the big social rooms. One of the painters left the room to smoke a cigarette (we thought). What he really did was go take a dump in his brother’s paint bucket. Damn, was the resulting howling and fight funny!!


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## Dave the Ox (Oct 13, 2018)

Several times over the years. There really isn’t any good way to handle it. I’ve installed hidden Bluetooth cameras, the heaviest types of locks, and I’ve put heavy equipment in front of the conex. If they are smart enough there’s really nothing you can do besides keep everything locked up. I’ve had them take a torch and cut a hole in the side of the conex and roll out 300’ spools of 500 mcm. One thing I’ve done is install an anti ligature cage for a smoke detector over a camera located in the storage area. I have a photo of the guys that ripped me off the last time, but they still haven’t caught the guys.


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## telsa (May 22, 2015)

eddy current said:


> I was told a story about some painters using stub outs as a urinal while having their lunch in an electrical room. When it was discovered by the electricians, they waited until the painters were back in the room having their lunch and then cleaned out the conduits with an air compressor sending all the contents back up to the painters! :vs_laugh:


The CIA calls that "blow-back."

:biggrin:

It's also why sailors aim down wind.


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## cwsims84 (Jan 21, 2012)

Any time my apprentice does any sort of conduit work, it should be considered jobsite vandalism!!


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## LARMGUY (Aug 22, 2010)

cwsims84 said:


> Any time my apprentice does any sort of conduit work, it should be considered jobsite vandalism!!


I guarantee you would never hire me then. :biggrin:


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## matt1124 (Aug 23, 2011)

We are hvac only on this one. Didn’t take or damage any of our stuff, plumbers lost a few things and some pipe. They took a bit of wire, here’s how they fixed it...


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

bill39 said:


> This wasn’t vandalism, just two drunkard painters who happened to be brothers. We were remodeling a college dorm. No students had moved in yet.
> 
> Most of us all ate lunch in one of the big social rooms. One of the painters left the room to smoke a cigarette (we thought). What he really did was go take a dump in his brother’s paint bucket. Damn, was the resulting howling and fight funny!!


There was a certain group of drywallers from south of the border that were crapping in bathtubs and electrical closets in lieu of walking down to crap on the seats of the porta potty if they used TP they stuck it to the walls.

We revolted and the GC made the drywall contractor clean up all the messes.


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