Drive carefully in the Long Beach: a rash of manhole cover thefts in the area have left the streets littered with axel-wrecking pits, reports the Los Angeles Times. About 50 covers have gone missing in the last eight months; 17 just this past week. Similar to the Dan the Miner statue, who was chopped down by criminals near Beverly Hills so he could be sold for scrap, the 150-pound Long Beach manhole covers are likely being sold to metal recycling companies. The covers, which can cost $500 to relace, go for a measly 10 bucks at the recycling places. To make matters worse for city officials, two drivers with damaged cars have filed claims with the city. Blame all this mess on the soaring price of metal and a flourishing market for recycled metals in developing nations. Not to give anyone any ideas, but how much would the Disney Concert Hall fetch?
· Thieves make off with dozens of Long Beach manhole covers [LA Times]
· Dan the Miner update [Curbed LA]
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