Was it Wrong?
 

Sooooo, if you've seen my other threads, y'all might know that I'm building a monowheel. I need aluminum square tubing for the frame, and was planning on getting some next week. But then I went for a ride around the neighborhood, and while I passed by the construction sites, I noticed a pile of aluminum square tubing sitting by the road. I got off and took a closer look. The aluminum was sitting next to the construction dumpster, and looked very old. The tubes were heavily oxidized and had bits of concrete stuck to them. Most of them were slightly bent, and some were completely mangled. They were thrown haphazardly in a pile, which was sitting very close to the edge of the road. I couldn't resist and took a couple of them with me.

What I want to know is was this theft? I was pretty sure that the aluminum was leftover from when they were building the foundation of the apartments (they're nearly finished), and based on the random way they were stacked, the condition of them, and their location, I assumed they were waste, and being thrown out. Can I get some answers to clear my conscience, cause I can't help thinking that I could have stolen something.https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...ee3a4369cd.jpg

sorry for crappy lighting, but here's one of the tubes. notice the oxidation and concrete
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...230832de93.jpg

here's a close up

Unless there was a sign saying "Free", you stole them.

I'm calling the cops

even if that was scrap, they get money for aluminum recycling.

Agree with the previous post to just go back and ask the crew. You may get a range of responses here that end up not fully addressing your personal guilt and ethics. Just tell the crew you took them and wanted to confirm if they were really "throw-away" and if it was ok to take them ... if not, you'll just give them back. Not worth losing sleep over even one more night.

Yes.

I probably wouldn't, I would just chuck it back when no one's around or just keep the two pieces, probably worth a buck for scrap. Most construction bosses would be understanding, some will not.

​​​​​​I wouldn't use these anyway. Once aluminum is deformed it cannot be "reset" like steel, and with how these pieces were they probably got bent back and forth repeatedly from usage. That means there's probably random fatigued points all over, not something I'd want to use on a frame. Plus concrete is a pita to remove.

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They look like aluminum straight edges used to strike-off a flat work concrete pour.

Take them back at night when no-one's there and then nip by the following morning when they're there, tell them what you want it for and ask if there's any chance you can nab a couple of bits.

Yes, it's theft. The item you took may not have much value, and theft of less than $100 generally is considered petty theft, a misdemeanor. However, what you took was taken from a Designated Construction Site, and according to my state's law, that automatically makes it Grand Theft and a Third-Degree Felony regardless of the value of the object.

penny theft. ooooooo...... up to a year behind bars, & not bicycle handlebars.

Don't drop the soap.

Its scrap. Free for the taking. Go grab more if you need it.

Thanks for the replies. I went back to the place at 6 am today and asked a guy. He was pretty nice and understanding, and told me that they discarded used up materials at the side of the road.

:)

Why do you think that? Do the marks and concrete tell something?

Did you say they may be liable for fly tipping :p

Seems like it was scrap to me, would go see if they have more. If they wanted it then why was it placed by the dumpster and in a mangled pile. Free for the taking the way I see it.

If you're asking here, you're not sure if they're garbage.....but you took them anyway. What do you think?

Because of our screwy laws designed to protect businesses at the expense of the people what you did would be considered stealing. Even if someone is throwing something out in the trash it is their owned trash and you are taking their property. However you did a good deed and you should continue acts like that. Saving stuff from going to landfills where it won't get used again and just rot away is a good thing and we as humans throw away so much useful stuff, it is ridiculous. We have laws that say perfectly good food needs to be thrown away because of an arbitrary date that may not be when the food will actually spoil. It is all ridiculous.

Now probably your average construction worker doesn't give a care about stuff they threw out intentionally but I know some supermarket employees do care for whatever reason and some supermarkets care to the point they use compactors instead of donating the food or leaving it for people to pick. I have gotten almost full boxes of brand new food that maybe had a jar break or they just got too much and couldn't keep it. I literally took at least 50 bottles of extra virgin olive oil from a dumpster once because some bottles had broken and the rest just needed to be rinsed off. I gave some away to charity stuff and friends and still have a bottle around. There were more bottles as well that I didn't take because I just simply didn't have the space in the vehicle. It was good olive oil too not the crap.

I wouldn't count on that being the case everywhere. When I moved to this area of Georgia, the first thing I noticed (other than trees and hills) was all the construction material left out everywhere. And equipment, just parked near wherever someone last used it. For months at a time. I don't know if it's regional or low-bidder style work, because they'll go weeks or months with no work on a job and materials (or trash) piled in a parking lot or on common use grounds. But even next to a dumpster I'd have to assume they were still using it.

If you have to ask...

Glad you got resolution, but I probably wouldn't do it again in the future. Plus, everything that [MENTION=468352]GrainBrain[/MENTION] said.

You could likely add trespassing to the theft, but it's all good now. Nice to see someone with a conscience.

I would not have just taken the material, you could have gotten into a lot of trouble over a pile of crap-quality aluminum that might only cost $30 at a hardware store.

But anyway--I would ask, are you familiar with welding aluminum? It is much more difficult than steel, and the aluminum requires heat-treating afterward, as it softens around the weld area.

If you don't know anything about welding then I would suggest you draw up plans for the tubing you need, and then order 4130 steel from somewhere that sells pieces by the foot.
Steel is much easier to braze (not weld!) and any welder you get your hands on will work on regular steel. Most electric welders don't work at all on aluminum.