SFbrkmnWhen the "brains" instruct an intermodal train to tie down and be there for days (or weeks), that invites "vistors". Not an intellegent choice to park these type of trains in isolated spots as it only invites trouble. Earlier this yr, I had a Q-SBDCHI eastbound during the 0100 hr. Before departing, the car dept had to perform an inspection of a trailer on a spine car towards the rear of the train. Turned out the door was opened and several tv sets missing. Door was closed up and we then deaprted. On the work order train list, the info showed FAK--freight of all kinds and not what actually was on board. Also interesting in those loads are generally placed in a container on the bottom so the doors cannot be opened in leiu of a semi trailer that can easily be breeched. Someone knew where the goodies were at
Earlier this yr, I had a Q-SBDCHI eastbound during the 0100 hr. Before departing, the car dept had to perform an inspection of a trailer on a spine car towards the rear of the train. Turned out the door was opened and several tv sets missing. Door was closed up and we then deaprted. On the work order train list, the info showed FAK--freight of all kinds and not what actually was on board. Also interesting in those loads are generally placed in a container on the bottom so the doors cannot be opened in leiu of a semi trailer that can easily be breeched. Someone knew where the goodies were at
It generally isn't 'the brains' that cause intermodal trains to be held. Generally - there is no place for the train to operate past the location where it gets held for what ever the reason.
If there were intermodal trains operating on the MRL line that had the Yellowstone River bridge wash out - It will take some period of time for 'the brains' to diagnose the reality of the Yellowstone Rivers situation and to map out contingencies for both physical movement and crew availability on whatever detour route(s) may be selected. The height of intermodal traffic make many lines 'OFF LIMITS' for rerouting.
While most intermodal is transported as FAK 'freight all kinds'. If the shipper and/or consignee is identified on any paperwork - the contents may be deduced.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
When the "brains" instruct an intermodal train to tie down and be there for days (or weeks), that invites "vistors". Not an intellegent choice to park these type of trains in isolated spots as it only invites trouble.
Don't let anybody fool you, it was the Postal Inspectors who caught Alvin Karpis. J. Edgar whatshisname just cashed in at the end.
Backshop BaltACD Flintlock76 54light15 i've never had a package stolen, but last year my mailbox was stolen! Who the hell steals a mailbox? Believe it or not stealing a mailbox is a Federal offense. Your mailbox is considered a de facto part of the postal system as far as Federal law is concerned. However, it's not likely the USPS is going to lose any sleep over a private mailbox being stolen. Got to be realistic here. Especially with Postmater deJoy restricting Postal Police to operating ONLY at Postal Facilities. The Postal Inspectors used to do their qualifying at the gun shop/range that I used to work at. I talked a lot to the captain in charge of the local unit. One day he asked if I wanted to shoot their H&K MP5 subgun. Sure, I replied. So I did. It was quite a privelege. I don't think anyone else was ever asked.
BaltACD Flintlock76 54light15 i've never had a package stolen, but last year my mailbox was stolen! Who the hell steals a mailbox? Believe it or not stealing a mailbox is a Federal offense. Your mailbox is considered a de facto part of the postal system as far as Federal law is concerned. However, it's not likely the USPS is going to lose any sleep over a private mailbox being stolen. Got to be realistic here. Especially with Postmater deJoy restricting Postal Police to operating ONLY at Postal Facilities.
Flintlock76 54light15 i've never had a package stolen, but last year my mailbox was stolen! Who the hell steals a mailbox? Believe it or not stealing a mailbox is a Federal offense. Your mailbox is considered a de facto part of the postal system as far as Federal law is concerned. However, it's not likely the USPS is going to lose any sleep over a private mailbox being stolen. Got to be realistic here.
54light15
i've never had a package stolen, but last year my mailbox was stolen! Who the hell steals a mailbox?
Believe it or not stealing a mailbox is a Federal offense. Your mailbox is considered a de facto part of the postal system as far as Federal law is concerned.
However, it's not likely the USPS is going to lose any sleep over a private mailbox being stolen. Got to be realistic here.
Especially with Postmater deJoy restricting Postal Police to operating ONLY at Postal Facilities.
The Postal Inspectors used to do their qualifying at the gun shop/range that I used to work at. I talked a lot to the captain in charge of the local unit. One day he asked if I wanted to shoot their H&K MP5 subgun. Sure, I replied. So I did. It was quite a privelege. I don't think anyone else was ever asked.
Back in the day - Mail Clerks on RPO's were armed.
54light15 i've never had a package stolen, but last year my mailbox was stolen! Who the hell steals a mailbox?
Have you seen how much a mail box costs!
Last summer, they were paving my street and a roller hit my mailbox. Not like "ran over like a pancake" but it got hit pretty good and twisted, so now it doesn't close right. A new door for it cost more than an entirely new mailbox too.
About 45 years ago I had my street mailbox stolen. After a couple of days, I put up a new one. About 2 weeks later, I found my old one laying beneath the new one!
tree68... As I noted before, I'm half surprised no one has gone with something more aggressive than glitter and stink. A flash/bang comes to mind...
As I noted before, I'm half surprised no one has gone with something more aggressive than glitter and stink. A flash/bang comes to mind...
I suspect some have - however, they didn't add in the complexity of getting video taken of the theft/opening with the intent of getting the video monetized on YouTube.
54light15Regarding porch thieves, can't other arrangements be made? I live on a commercial street and if I have a package coming and if I'm not home, the package will be left at the post office at the drug store 100 feet away. A notice is put in my mailbox and if it's a Fed Ex, the same thing happens and it will be at their depot downtown. Can't something like this be done? It's a well-known problem and I think it would be simple to solve by putting a notice of a package in someone's mailbox.
I don't have a mailbox at my house. Any such notices get stuck on my door. Before I retired, I was working 9 hour days (which gave me an extra day off every two weeks). By the time I got off work, my post office (I have a PO Box) was closed, as were the offices of the package services.
OTOH, we haven't had a problem here, at least not yet. And if I am going to be out of town for more than a day, I have friends who will check for packages and move them out of sight.
And, if the package is small, the delivery people will sometimes put it inside the storm door.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
It is also incredibly hit or miss as to whether or not you'll need or want to do anything. I used to live on Capitol Hill two blocks from a Metro station. Our neighborhood was a huge target for package theft. We never had a single package stolen, including the time that we had something inadvertantly delivered while we were out of town for a week. Three doors down and there was a house that got hit so often they got one of those locking drop boxes.
54light15 Regarding porch thieves, can't other arrangements be made? I live on a commercial street and if I have a package coming and if I'm not home, the package will be left at the post office at the drug store 100 feet away. A notice is put in my mailbox and if it's a Fed Ex, the same thing happens and it will be at their depot downtown. Can't something like this be done? It's a well-known problem and I think it would be simple to solve by putting a notice of a package in someone's mailbox. Putting in a booby trap is just stupid and probably criminal. I do think the fart stink and glitter drone thing is pretty interesting. It looks like those guys are having a lot of fun with it. Where would one buy a vial of fart stink, anyway?
Regarding porch thieves, can't other arrangements be made? I live on a commercial street and if I have a package coming and if I'm not home, the package will be left at the post office at the drug store 100 feet away. A notice is put in my mailbox and if it's a Fed Ex, the same thing happens and it will be at their depot downtown. Can't something like this be done? It's a well-known problem and I think it would be simple to solve by putting a notice of a package in someone's mailbox. Putting in a booby trap is just stupid and probably criminal.
I do think the fart stink and glitter drone thing is pretty interesting. It looks like those guys are having a lot of fun with it. Where would one buy a vial of fart stink, anyway?
I think so too.. The post office has been doing this for decades.
54light15... I do think the fart stink and glitter drone thing is pretty interesting. It looks like those guys are having a lot of fun with it. Where would one buy a vial of fart stink, anyway?
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Fart-Spray-Novelty-Prank-Toy-Guaranteed-Results/195731481?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=18334
The point of alarms is to scare the thief enough that he will stop the theft.
The issue is that the container thieves are not afraid of the police. They know (and have openly said) they will be charged by the police, and they will be out of custody in just hours. If (and that's a big if) the DA decides to follow through with charges, the plea will be reduced to almost nothing charged.
York1 John
It would certainly alert the homeowner but may also make some thieves think twice if they didn't think they could just walk off quietly. Is the better solution to do nothing? It was only a suggestion.
My personal opinion is that the man-trapping laws need to be slightly revised, so that upon some agreed fair warning, the package deploys the kind of distinctive purple/UV-fluorescent dye included in bank bags... with a little added glue and small microchips of the kind used for animal ID.
And persistent Apple tags, with better batteries, incorporated into the packaging (and keyed for reuse by the intended recipient... not someone hacking phones that were incorporated into a booby trap...)
I'd also include some kind(s) of insect attractant (or anger) pheromones, for that additional dash of credible deterrent in principle.
There are approaches using 'sound and light' effectively -- look up that old paragon of '60s technology the 'photic driver'. The problem is that if you fire this in a moving vehicle you're going to incapacitate the driver, and potentially cause all sorts of harm to the innocent uninvolved.
zugmannWhen's the last time you were concerned when you heard a car alarm?
Considering that two areas that would be likely targets would be way out in the sticks where no one would hear them, and urban areas where no one would pay attention.
One thing that always irks me when I see videos of fire scenes is the PASS alarms going off and no one is paying attention. The PASS alarm is set to go off if a firefighter doesn't move for 20 seconds or so. In theory, it's a distress alarm. All too often, a firefighter will shed his air pack (outside) and neglect to disable the alarm.
zugmann Perry Babin A simple switch with a really loud siren and strobe light (triggered by the switch when the package was lifted) would be effective, especially if a lot of people did it. When's the last time you were concerned when you heard a car alarm?
Perry Babin A simple switch with a really loud siren and strobe light (triggered by the switch when the package was lifted) would be effective, especially if a lot of people did it.
When's the last time you were concerned when you heard a car alarm?
I'm not sure that I ever was, especially after hearing at least half a dozen alarms going off after a really large firecracker.
Perry BabinA simple switch with a really loud siren and strobe light (triggered by the switch when the package was lifted) would be effective, especially if a lot of people did it.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.
A simple switch with a really loud siren and strobe light (triggered by the switch when the package was lifted) would be effective, especially if a lot of people did it.
mudchickenOne of the locals here (nearby) tried to booby-trap his front and rear porches for porch pirates and burglers.... Nailed a door-to-door painting contractor sales contractor instead. Salesman is temporarilly deaf with burns and the homeowner fled to Canada. (Canada is sending him back to face the music)
IF I was going to do something more drastic than glitter and foul odors, it would involve the package itself, not my porch, etc. That is stupid - coulda been a kid selling cookies.
That said, given the abysmal response of law enforcement and the judicial system to the problem, I'm half surprised something more drastic hasn't been done.
mudchicken One of the locals here (nearby) tried to booby-trap his front and rear porches for porch pirates and burglers.... Nailed a door-to-door painting contractor sales contractor instead. Salesman is temporarilly deaf with burns and the homeowner fled to Canada. (Canada is sending him back to face the music)
One of the locals here (nearby) tried to booby-trap his front and rear porches for porch pirates and burglers.... Nailed a door-to-door painting contractor sales contractor instead. Salesman is temporarilly deaf with burns and the homeowner fled to Canada. (Canada is sending him back to face the music)
Now THAT kind of booby trap is downright stupid and irresponsible, specifically because like a wartime booby trap it's non-specific and doesn't care who it harms.
The "goody box" traps our young engineer put together are altogether different animals.
Wuz goona mention them
OOOOOOO, I'm gonna get me one of those Crunch Lab kits, they look like fun!
You know, if that gent could make those porch pirate booby traps nice and affordable his fortune would be made!
Ulrich NittanyLion Ulrich Cargo theft and looting is far more pervasive than most people realize Heck, I don't think it is much of a limb to go out on to say that en route theft nowadays is still less than what the dockworkers used to pilfer back in the day. In absolute numbers theft is far worse today than it was back in the breakbulk days due to the much larger volumes shipped today. In relative terms.. sure.. the dockworkers have less opportunity to steal thanks to containerization, but the theft has simply been displaced to porches, trucking loading docks and rail cars..
NittanyLion Ulrich Cargo theft and looting is far more pervasive than most people realize Heck, I don't think it is much of a limb to go out on to say that en route theft nowadays is still less than what the dockworkers used to pilfer back in the day.
Ulrich Cargo theft and looting is far more pervasive than most people realize
Heck, I don't think it is much of a limb to go out on to say that en route theft nowadays is still less than what the dockworkers used to pilfer back in the day.
In absolute numbers theft is far worse today than it was back in the breakbulk days due to the much larger volumes shipped today. In relative terms.. sure.. the dockworkers have less opportunity to steal thanks to containerization, but the theft has simply been displaced to porches, trucking loading docks and rail cars..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWeu2dxHRDg
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