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Is there a rash of homeless people running chop shops? That seems shocking. Tools are expensive - where do they keep them? Are they dissecting cars under bri

Is there a rash of homeless people running chop shops? That seems shocking. Tools are expensive - where do they keep them? Are they dissecting cars under bridges?

arrosenberg 4y ago
At least where I live, it's mostly bikes and specific car parts that are accessible like the catalytic converter. A 20A multitool and steel cutting saw blades are not expensive (~$250 retail) and can get the job done very quickly.
- s1artibartfast 4y ago
  Or you can simply steal any tools required as well.
- 83 4y ago
  No one chopping parts is going to spend $250 on a Milwaukee, they'll buy (or steal) the $55 dollar harbor freight version.
  - bombcar 4y ago
    I mean if you're going to steal one, why not steal the Milwaukee (though those are often locked up in the Home Depots in the bad part of town). Most use a hacksaw I suspect.
    - mywittyname 4y ago
      Break into a work van, steal tools, use stolen tools to steal catalytic converter.
kansface 4y ago
When I lived in SF, there was a chronically homeless guy with essentially a permanent residence in front of my apartment. He ran a highly ineffective chop shop whereby he would disassemble stolen bikes with a 3’ section of steel pipe. It was a slow/loud/labor intensive process. He was an OK neighbor besides that I suppose…
- convolvatron 4y ago
  there's a guy living down by islais creek that sells and repairs bikes for other homeless. at one point the port authority cleaned out his camp. 4 large dumpsters full of bike parts
conductr 4y ago
Thief and chop shops are separate specialties. I’d imagine if this claim is even true, the homeless people are acquiring raw assets and flipping them quickly
- WalterGR 4y ago
  > Thief and chop shops are separate specialties. Right. It's unclear if that distinction is understood here.
  - TulliusCicero 4y ago
    ...okay? Those are both pretty terrible things to just let go on, I'm not sure what point you're trying to make here. Yes, I understand that the people doing the stealing and the people running the chop shop are usually not the same people.
    - deleted 4y ago
      [deleted]
    - WalterGR 4y ago
      I've never known the term "chop shop" to also include stolen-parts swap meet, so by homeless people "involved in" chop shops, I read it as you saying that they are running chop shops. Which is an undertaking that requires tools and at minimum, semi-permanent secluded space. It's now clear to me that you did not mean that, and rather meant something like "Homeless people that are street thieves."
      - TulliusCicero 4y ago
        > Which is an undertaking that requires tools and at minimum, semi-permanent secluded space. A few tools, yes, but secluded space no. https://abc7news.com/chop-shop-bicycle-theft-san-jose-downtown/5698704/ https://abc7news.com/chop-shop-bicycle-theft-san-jose-downto... The ones I'm more familiar with are for taking apart bikes. I imagine that's much easier to do, in terms of tooling and space, than cars (and also less likely to bring down the cops). > It's now clear to me that you did not mean that, and rather meant something like "Homeless people that are street thieves." No. Both the stealing and the taking apart of bikes seem linked to the growing homelessness issue we're seeing.
jgust 4y ago
It's happening broad daylight in green spaces in Seattle. It's not pervasive, but it's there.
agentofoblivion 4y ago
There’s a caravan of dilapidated RVs on the road next to my gym in Seattle. The “homeless” have setup permanent structures and solar panels. A guy runs a bike chop shop out of his.
GauntletWizard 4y ago
Very literally, yes. https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/is-chop-shop-operating-plain-sight-beneath-first-ave-bridge/QYCFDL7YUVHPROHG2UUNEIITLU/ https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/is-chop-shop-operating-plai...
TulliusCicero 4y ago
Not in the sense of "a large percentage of homeless people are running chop shops". However, you do find some notable examples of apparently homeless people just running chop shops in the open on random public land. Sometimes people who've had their bikes stolen will go them to find their bikes there and take 'em back.
ingsoc79 4y ago
Yes. Seattle had multiple chop shops scattered around the city, including this one dissecting cars under a bridge: https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/is-chop-shop-operating-plain-sight-beneath-first-ave-bridge/QYCFDL7YUVHPROHG2UUNEIITLU/ https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/is-chop-shop-operating-plai...
jrnichols 4y ago
> Is there a rash of homeless people running chop shops? That seems shocking. It's true, especially for things like bicycles or small engines. > Tools are expensive - where do they keep them? Some of the camps are quite elaborate. > Are they dissecting cars under bridges? yes. It's been getting worse around Sacramento for several years now.
- WalterGR 4y ago
  >> Tools are expensive - where do they keep them? > Some of the camps are quite elaborate. They are. However, tools are expensive thus need to be locked securely. Think: storage unit, not elaborate connected tents. >> Are they dissecting cars under bridges? > yes. It's been getting worse around Sacramento for several years now. Hey, I live in Sacramento too! I've never seen what you're talking about. Where in Sacramento can I see that?
  - jrnichols 4y ago
    > They are. However, tools are expensive thus need to be locked securely They're really not. A Dewalt sawzall is a common catalytic converter theft tool. They're not super expensive, and tools are also commonly stolen items. You don't need a storage unit to keep a few tools you use to chop up bikes. (I'm not thinking of a whole vehicle storage yard when I think 'chop shop.') >> yes. It's been getting worse around Sacramento for several years now. >Hey, I live in Sacramento too! >I've never seen what you're talking about. Where in Sacramento can I see that? where can you see homeless camps? they're all over the place. Down Folsom Blvd towards Sac State, the W/X freeway, all over the interchange, right off the 15th St exist into downtown, a few of them along Broadway down towards 99, etc. Those are just ones that I drive by on a regular basis. It's really bad up along Roseville Rd towards the city dump too. so many RVs and homemade structures. Up towards the Blue Diamond plant too, and a whole bunch of camps down along and under 160. It's almost unsafe to ride a bicycle across the C st bridge because of all of the camps that are in the parks along the American River. There's also a ton of RVs across 160 from Costco too. not sure how you have never seen any of this, but it's really quite visible.
    - 4y ago

Is there a rash of homeless people running chop shops? That seems shocking. Tools are expensive - where do they keep them? Are they dissecting cars under bridges?

arrosenberg 4y ago

At least where I live, it's mostly bikes and specific car parts that are accessible like the catalytic converter. A 20A multitool and steel cutting saw blades are not expensive (~$250 retail) and can get the job done very quickly.

s1artibartfast 4y ago
Or you can simply steal any tools required as well.
83 4y ago
No one chopping parts is going to spend $250 on a Milwaukee, they'll buy (or steal) the $55 dollar harbor freight version.
- bombcar 4y ago
  I mean if you're going to steal one, why not steal the Milwaukee (though those are often locked up in the Home Depots in the bad part of town). Most use a hacksaw I suspect.
  - mywittyname 4y ago
    Break into a work van, steal tools, use stolen tools to steal catalytic converter.

kansface 4y ago

When I lived in SF, there was a chronically homeless guy with essentially a permanent residence in front of my apartment. He ran a highly ineffective chop shop whereby he would disassemble stolen bikes with a 3’ section of steel pipe. It was a slow/loud/labor intensive process. He was an OK neighbor besides that I suppose…

convolvatron 4y ago
there's a guy living down by islais creek that sells and repairs bikes for other homeless. at one point the port authority cleaned out his camp. 4 large dumpsters full of bike parts

conductr 4y ago

Thief and chop shops are separate specialties. I’d imagine if this claim is even true, the homeless people are acquiring raw assets and flipping them quickly

WalterGR 4y ago
> Thief and chop shops are separate specialties. Right. It's unclear if that distinction is understood here.
- TulliusCicero 4y ago
  ...okay? Those are both pretty terrible things to just let go on, I'm not sure what point you're trying to make here. Yes, I understand that the people doing the stealing and the people running the chop shop are usually not the same people.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
  - WalterGR 4y ago
    I've never known the term "chop shop" to also include stolen-parts swap meet, so by homeless people "involved in" chop shops, I read it as you saying that they are running chop shops. Which is an undertaking that requires tools and at minimum, semi-permanent secluded space. It's now clear to me that you did not mean that, and rather meant something like "Homeless people that are street thieves."
    - TulliusCicero 4y ago
      > Which is an undertaking that requires tools and at minimum, semi-permanent secluded space. A few tools, yes, but secluded space no. https://abc7news.com/chop-shop-bicycle-theft-san-jose-downtown/5698704/ https://abc7news.com/chop-shop-bicycle-theft-san-jose-downto... The ones I'm more familiar with are for taking apart bikes. I imagine that's much easier to do, in terms of tooling and space, than cars (and also less likely to bring down the cops). > It's now clear to me that you did not mean that, and rather meant something like "Homeless people that are street thieves." No. Both the stealing and the taking apart of bikes seem linked to the growing homelessness issue we're seeing.

jgust 4y ago

It's happening broad daylight in green spaces in Seattle. It's not pervasive, but it's there.

agentofoblivion 4y ago

There’s a caravan of dilapidated RVs on the road next to my gym in Seattle. The “homeless” have setup permanent structures and solar panels. A guy runs a bike chop shop out of his.

GauntletWizard 4y ago

Very literally, yes. https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/is-chop-shop-operating-plain-sight-beneath-first-ave-bridge/QYCFDL7YUVHPROHG2UUNEIITLU/ https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/is-chop-shop-operating-plai...

TulliusCicero 4y ago

Not in the sense of "a large percentage of homeless people are running chop shops". However, you do find some notable examples of apparently homeless people just running chop shops in the open on random public land. Sometimes people who've had their bikes stolen will go them to find their bikes there and take 'em back.

ingsoc79 4y ago

Yes. Seattle had multiple chop shops scattered around the city, including this one dissecting cars under a bridge: https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/is-chop-shop-operating-plain-sight-beneath-first-ave-bridge/QYCFDL7YUVHPROHG2UUNEIITLU/ https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/is-chop-shop-operating-plai...

jrnichols 4y ago

> Is there a rash of homeless people running chop shops? That seems shocking. It's true, especially for things like bicycles or small engines. > Tools are expensive - where do they keep them? Some of the camps are quite elaborate. > Are they dissecting cars under bridges? yes. It's been getting worse around Sacramento for several years now.

WalterGR 4y ago
>> Tools are expensive - where do they keep them? > Some of the camps are quite elaborate. They are. However, tools are expensive thus need to be locked securely. Think: storage unit, not elaborate connected tents. >> Are they dissecting cars under bridges? > yes. It's been getting worse around Sacramento for several years now. Hey, I live in Sacramento too! I've never seen what you're talking about. Where in Sacramento can I see that?
- jrnichols 4y ago
  > They are. However, tools are expensive thus need to be locked securely They're really not. A Dewalt sawzall is a common catalytic converter theft tool. They're not super expensive, and tools are also commonly stolen items. You don't need a storage unit to keep a few tools you use to chop up bikes. (I'm not thinking of a whole vehicle storage yard when I think 'chop shop.') >> yes. It's been getting worse around Sacramento for several years now. >Hey, I live in Sacramento too! >I've never seen what you're talking about. Where in Sacramento can I see that? where can you see homeless camps? they're all over the place. Down Folsom Blvd towards Sac State, the W/X freeway, all over the interchange, right off the 15th St exist into downtown, a few of them along Broadway down towards 99, etc. Those are just ones that I drive by on a regular basis. It's really bad up along Roseville Rd towards the city dump too. so many RVs and homemade structures. Up towards the Blue Diamond plant too, and a whole bunch of camps down along and under 160. It's almost unsafe to ride a bicycle across the C st bridge because of all of the camps that are in the parks along the American River. There's also a ton of RVs across 160 from Costco too. not sure how you have never seen any of this, but it's really quite visible.
  - 4y ago