> There is a small number of companies in any location which accept
>> metal for recycling.
>> If Joe Schmoe shows up at the depot with a truckbed full of copper
>> cable, they know he didn't come across it legitimately.
>How's that?
>There are many legit recyclers of large trucks full of copper cabling.
>Ie. datacomm techs routinely pull old dead comm cable from the
>ceilings when they retrofit a space. That ancient 25-pair and cat3
>just goes onto the truck for recycling.
>I also know my electrician collects all his junk wire for recycling,
>and eventually saves up trash barrels full of it to go on a recycling >run.
But does he take cables like VZ is complaining about being stolen?
Yes, small wires are legitimately recycled all the time, and even a small amount of large wires, perhaps -- but if VZ really wanted to know who was stealing its cables, they could find out, a lot cheaper than paying that reward. What legitimate explanation is there for Joe Schmoe to show up with a quarter mile of thick copper shielded cable?