People are stealing like crazy: the district of Ebersberg is running out of town signs
Created: 09/05/2022 05:39
By: Raphael Scherer
Yawning emptiness: thieves left this sign frame on Abt-Häfele-Strasse in Ebersberg, orphaned.
Not only in the district town, more and more place-name signs, but also signs for speed limits have been stolen – to the conundrum of the municipalities.
© S. Roßmann
Thefts of traffic signs in the district of Ebersberg have been increasing exponentially for some time.
Politicians are at a loss, the taxpayer has to pay for it.
District
– If a complete stranger drives from the Ebersberg forest to the commercial area of the district town, he probably doesn't even know where he is at the moment - let alone that he's only allowed to drive 50 km.
Because once again the place-name sign is missing.
And not only there: Everywhere in the district, traffic signs are being stolen more and more frequently.
The yellow place-name signs in particular are particularly popular.
Traffic sign thieves: The district town of Ebersberg has already had to replace ten place-name signs
"It's been going on like this for us for two years," complains Ebersberg's mayor Ulrich Proske (independent).
Ten place-name signs were already stolen at that time, sometimes even three times from the same place, according to observations in the district capital.
At around 500 euros per sign, the total damage is around 5000 euros.
"Almost every few weeks, several town signs in Grafing disappear," confirms Mayor Christian Bauer (CSU).
Extremely annoying, after all, the taxpayer has to pay for the damage, he explains.
Trouble also in Glonn: "It seems to be a hobby"
The sign thieves are also up to mischief in Glonn: "Lately some have been stolen, increasingly since July it seems to be a hobby," says Mayor Josef Oswald (CSU).
It could take up to a month for the signs to be delivered and installed.
Until then, construction site signs must indicate the entrance to the town and the associated speed limit.
Ebersberg's road manager Johannes Bachmaier almost doesn't dare to talk about the high number of thefts, as he is afraid of free riders.
The fact that a speed limit sign is sometimes misused as a birthday present has also happened time and again in the past.
However, the tendency towards the place-name signs and the large number of thefts in a very short space of time is a completely new phenomenon.
Signs remain the property of others: thieves face punishment at any time
Above all, the question "Why?" remains a complete mystery to most people: "I don't know what to do with it, you can't do anything with it," says Bachmaier.
Mayor Oswald suspects a mixture of barter and party gag behind it.
With this theory, Bachmaier points out that no matter where they go, the signs are still owned by others.
Accordingly, the exhibitors at home would have to reckon with being ratted out to the police at any time.
Exhibiting outside in the garden is also canceled accordingly.
Accordingly, if at all, they could only be stored hidden in the garage or in the basement.
For Mayor Proske, too, the decoration aspect is only a defective explanation: "It's crazy, completely crazy.
They can't all hang out in party cellars, after all they're quite big, about one square meter," he wonders.
Sale at material value?
- Probably not profitable
According to Mayor Bauer, the theory from the building yard that the thieves are targeting the material of the signs has already emerged in Grafing.
The road maintenance department doubts that: "If you take them to the scrap dealer, you can't leave the place name on it, that would make you suspicious," says Bachmaier.
In theory, you could remove the paint with a sandblaster or flexes, but: "The material isn't worth the effort.
If I don't go out to eat once a month, then I've got the money back," says Bachmaier.
What is really behind the trend remains a mystery to everyone.
So far, a complaint against unknown persons has always led to nothing, after all, the thieves act unobserved at night, according to the respective experience.
The district has already thought about higher security measures, such as riveting or welding the screws.
However, the effort is considerably greater, more expensive and the resulting protection against theft rather questionable: "Because then there are those who cut the entire mast with the Flex right away", according to Oswald's experience in Glonn - even greater damage for the community.
"We hope that the group will soon be too stupid and the whole thing will come to an end," explains the Glonner and adds with a snort: "It's annoying!"
You can find more current news from the district of Ebersberg at Merkur.de/Ebersberg.
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