Al's Morning Meeting reader
Becky Bruce Zani told me about a new theft trend in Virginia. Theives are tearing catalytic converters off parked cars. And it turns out this is happening in a lot of places.
I have seen the story pop up in New Jersey, where thieves cut the catalytic converters off eight cars parked on one block.
The story says:
A catalytic converter is a device used to reduce the toxicity of emissions from an internal combustion engine. Catalytic converters have been required by law on every motor vehicle operated in the United States since 1975.
According to Detective Sgt. Paul Reed, the incidents in which the catalytic converters were stolen took place between 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Oct. 20.
When the individuals started their cars upon returning, they heard very loud exhaust sounds and rumbles. Following a visit to a mechanic, each victim was told that his catalytic converter had been removed from underneath the vehicle.
A new catalytic converter may cost between $400 and $1,500 and the cost to repair the vehicle could be between $1,000 and $3,000, according to Reed.
I have seen the same problem in Annapolis, Md., where The Capital reports:
Seventy-four converters have been reported stolen to county police in the past three months -- 47 in just the past two weeks. Each was cut out from underside of a truck, van or SUV.
Police suspect most are sold on the street to shady repair shops and at-home garages. Some metal experts and mechanics, however, believe they also end up in area scrap yards. The devices contain small amounts of platinum and other precious metals.
"There is a big illegal market for the resale of converters," said Officer Sara Schriver, county police spokesman. "There is no trace evidence linking the suspects to the converters. (It's) very hard to investigate and discover suspects."
According to police reports, the thieves primarily target large fleets of vehicles while they are parked overnight in secluded parking lots. Two businesses, Comcast Cable of Gambrills, [ Md.] and Adscom Corp. of Glen Burnie, [Md.] -- a fleet and work vehicle reseller -- were hit twice.
Elsewhere though, in other counties and states, private citizens have called police complaining someone cut out their car's catalytic converter -- worth less than $100 on the street -- while the vehicle was parked outside their house or in a large parking lot.
Newspapers in Charleston, S.C., and Rockford, Ill., have also reported lots of converter thefts.
On a chat board, I have been reading about Sacramento, Calif., muffler shops that reported several people coming in with cars that were missing converters.
I read in the minutes of the Berkeley, Calif., city council's October meeting that the city had become concerned enough about the widespread thefts of catalytic converters that it was going to produce a public warning. See Item 11.
It is a problem in Canada, too.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police say parking garages have been especially popular places for thieves to do their work.
The International Risk Management Institute explains the larger story behind the theft of automotive equipment.
The NBA's New Unpopular Basketballs
When the NBA first announced it would begin using synthetic basketballs earlier this year, I wondered if it would be a good idea. Since the season began, players have complained. The Associated Press says:
NBA players have complained all month that the league's new synthetic ball feels and performs differently from the old leather one.
According to results of a study requested by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, they may be right.
Physicists at the University of Texas-Arlington released results of preliminary tests they say proves the microfiber composite ball doesn't behave like the old leather ball.
The study -- which you can read here -- says, when dropped from 4 feet, the synthetic ball bounces 5 to 8 percent lower than a typical leather ball. It also found the new ball bounces 30 percent more erratically.
Hair Color
The The Wall Street Journal had a fascinating piece last weekend about the business of hair color. It says 54 percent of women color their hair, and half of them do it themselves. The rest go to salons. It also says salons do big business fixing homemade mistakes.
The story says 12 percent of men have colored their hair. It says that as boomers gray, fewer are coloring their hair. When people reach about 65, their use of color drops like a rock.
I can't provide a link -- the WSJ offers it as a for-pay piece.
We are always looking for your great ideas. Send Al a few sentences and hot links.
Editor's Note: Al's Morning Meeting is a compendium of ideas, edited story excerpts and other materials from a variety of Web sites, as well as original concepts and analysis. When the information comes directly from another source, it will be attributed and a link will be provided whenever possible. The column is fact-checked, but depends upon the accuracy and integrity of the original sources cited. Errors and inaccuracies found will be corrected.
