DETROIT – This past Friday we saw just how destructive scrapping can be in the city of Detroit.
A person pulled a gas line caused an explosion. The fire took out seven homes on Oakdale Street, leaving several people homeless.
Still, scrappers will strike anywhere. Local contractors who have seen just about everything in the city stolen for a quick scrap metal payout can't believe the new level of super-scrapping.
Fences have been stolen. Air conditioning units have been swiped off the tops of buildings. Copper in street lights has been stripped away.
Now, urinal and toilet fixtures are being removed from inside restaurant restrooms. The crew at the McDonald's on Mack Avenue in east Detroit have not been allowed to talk about it, but wooden boxes now protect the new urinal fixtures after the old ones were stolen from the restaurant.
In southwest Detroit, a Burger King has had to have its toilet fixtures replaced four times. All of the thefts have happened during business hours.
The new fixtures have locks on them.