sevfiv Posted May 11, 2007 Share Posted May 11, 2007 The Parks department estimates $100,000+ for replacing the 264 bulbs and bronze canisters "Currently we do not have funding identified to order the replacement," says Estella Espinosa, department spokeswoman. "We plan to order it as soon as we get fiscal money for 2008, which will come in July." But that answer isn't sitting so well with nearby residents. "The museums have complained to the city, people at Warwick Towers have complained, other residents have complained," says Brown, who lives within walking distance of the fountain. "I think this is a sign there's something wrong with the way the city works." http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metrop...an/4794939.html 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vertigo58 Posted May 11, 2007 Share Posted May 11, 2007 I had NO idea they were stolen!The Parks department estimates $100,000+ for replacing the 264 bulbs and bronze canisters http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metrop...an/4794939.html Gotta be an inside job, how could it be possible to swipe all of this equip with hundreds of cars streaming by? Uncanny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KinkaidAlum Posted May 11, 2007 Share Posted May 11, 2007 Really sad. I gotta agree that it doesn't pass the smell test. This is too big of a job for it to be vandals and too messy of a job for a crackhead and it would take too long for someone without knowledge of the layout and work involved in working with electrical outlets and water.I get extra sad when I read stories about people having ZERO respect for a place that can provide Houston with some much needed civic pride. The Mecom Fountain and Hermann Park are two of the finest examples of PUBLIC spaces in Houston. Whoever did this is a major f&^%tard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Posted May 11, 2007 Share Posted May 11, 2007 That sucks. I live in the area and it is really a shame. I also notice people do weird things to that fountain like putting soap in it and walking around in the fountain at night (seriously I've seen that). The soap couldn't be good for the pumps and also probably kills the grass around it and stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted May 11, 2007 Share Posted May 11, 2007 That sucks. I live in the area and it is really a shame. I also notice people do weird things to that fountain like putting soap in it and walking around in the fountain at night (seriously I've seen that). The soap couldn't be good for the pumps and also probably kills the grass around it and stuff. The Mecom has a long history of being used as Houston's equivalent of a public bath. My own mother, as a hippie... ...well I'm not gonna say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted May 11, 2007 Share Posted May 11, 2007 this is happening all over town. the fountains downtown for cotwald have also been pillaged. the pieces of metal have been broken off and taken to the recycling places for resale. with the police being scarce, acts like this (esp on city properties) will continue to occur. The two fountains on market square which i see the most, had their original brass grates stolen several years ago and the holes remained opened for months. the city then came back with some cheaper ( and cheaper looking) grates and those were taken as well. i know the fountain by the rice garages has also had its copper leaves stolen several times. ironically the city has attempted to address the issue by making it harder to sell the items BUT they didn't address the fact that you can go to neighboring entities (pasadena, soho, etc) and still sell them. my mom and i were in pasadena and noticed a recycling place that was obviously receiving stolen copper pipes from worksites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted May 11, 2007 Share Posted May 11, 2007 These would be too easy to steal if you wanted them. Get a white truck, flashing light on top and a few dudes with hard hats. Heck, even get a guy directing traffic if you really want tot make it legit. Are YOU going to stop and ask "what's going on here" if it looks legit?Do it in broad daylight. Nobody would question anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted May 11, 2007 Share Posted May 11, 2007 These would be too easy to steal if you wanted them. Get a white truck, flashing light on top and a few dudes with hard hats. Heck, even get a guy directing traffic if you really want tot make it legit. Are YOU going to stop and ask "what's going on here" if it looks legit?Do it in broad daylight. Nobody would question anything.Sounds like more expense, effort, and risk than they're worth as scrap metal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted May 11, 2007 Share Posted May 11, 2007 Maybe they'll end up in someone's backyard? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nativehou Posted May 11, 2007 Share Posted May 11, 2007 I get extra sad when I read stories about people having ZERO respect for a place that can provide Houston with some much needed civic pride.I agree. But these people don't have any clue about "civic pride." That's the furthest thing from their mind. People want the "most they can possibly get for the least they can possibly do," to quote the great Todd Snider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pumapayam Posted May 11, 2007 Share Posted May 11, 2007 I agree. But these people don't have any clue about "civic pride." That's the furthest thing from their mind. People want the "most they can possibly get for the least they can possibly do," to quote the great Todd Snider.They need to secure the canisters better, or just do something like big brother and install night vision cameras and monitor the heck out of it when they see something suspicious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted May 11, 2007 Share Posted May 11, 2007 They need to secure the canisters better, or just do something like big brother and install night vision cameras and monitor the heck out of it when they see something suspicious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolie Posted May 11, 2007 Share Posted May 11, 2007 Better yet. Put arsenic in the water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pumapayam Posted May 11, 2007 Share Posted May 11, 2007 It works for gas stations and bank ATMS. At least we'd have footage of who steals the canisters the next time, or it may discourage stealing altogether. Heck, there are companies that sell fake alarm window decals and dummy security cameras because they know it acts as a deterrent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted May 11, 2007 Share Posted May 11, 2007 It works for gas stations and bank ATMS. yeah i always like to see the vids of criminals escaping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pumapayam Posted May 11, 2007 Share Posted May 11, 2007 yeah i always like to see the vids of criminals escaping. Well the videos are not a perfect solution, but they at let help identify the thief. Right now, we don't even have a hint. A video, grainy and all, could at least give the police some idea of what to look for. The getaway car and the look of the person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted May 11, 2007 Share Posted May 11, 2007 Well the videos are not a perfect solution, but they at let help identify the thief.Right now, we don't even have a hint. A video, grainy and all, could at least give the police some idea of what to look for. The getaway car and the look of the person.i'll bet if they build a shipley's across the street the problem would be solved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pumapayam Posted May 11, 2007 Share Posted May 11, 2007 i'll bet if they build a shipley's across the street the problem would be solved.Do cops still offer free doughnuts?Heck, if that is what is takes, building one on each side, plus a Starbucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted May 11, 2007 Share Posted May 11, 2007 Do cops still offer free doughnuts?Heck, if that is what is takes, building one on each side, plus a Starbucks.cops don't offer free doughnuts...shipley's offers them free doughnuts. I was joking BTW. the beauty of the fountains would be lost with crap like that there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vertigo58 Posted May 11, 2007 Share Posted May 11, 2007 Better yet. Put arsenic in the water. Bear traps, gets them every time. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Posted August 10, 2007 Share Posted August 10, 2007 Has anybody noticed that they are now lighting the fountain from the top of the ZaZa hotel? They have a big spotlight on it. It doesn't seem to be on all the time (maybe they turn it off later at night?) but it looks pretty good, and I'm sure it's hard to steal the spotlights way up there. I was just wondering if this is the solution, or if they are going to replace the lights inside the fountain as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vertigo58 Posted August 10, 2007 Share Posted August 10, 2007 Maybe that was the best solution from having them stolen again? Can't blame em. and everytime I hear that hotel name it reminds me of well,......Zsa Zsa getting busted. (Cop slapping incident) heard the world over. Dahhling. I wonder if she's single? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carol802 Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Anyone remember when a weekend couldn't pass without a car making the circle and heaving (the quarterbacks) a salvo tab at Mecom fountain. They knew they hit it if ten minutes later they made a slow driveby and saw bubble land. Kinda like a lawn dart or washer toss type game.The newspapers would pout about how the detergent wasn't good for the pumps but it was our only version of snow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 I saw it once around 2000. I don't think it's all that common these days. Too much like good clean fun. Kids would rather play murder video games these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fringe Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Since the statue of limitations has passed I will confess to having done that on more than one occasion when I had a LeMans convertible in the late 60's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 When I first moved into the Museum District about 2 years ago I saw it about a dozen times that year. Then after the fountain's lights were stolen and later replaced, I stopped seeing the fountain become soapy. Maybe they have better security now to prevent the lights from being stolen and that helps to stop the soap problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwphillips2 Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 You guys..... In the 60s, we got out of the car, jumped into the foot-deep water and emptied a bottle of Joy. That was the only way you could earn your Mecom Main badge. I recently noticed they filled in the fountain at Gessner and Memorial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marmer Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Yes. Liquid detergent works better. You can transfer it ahead of time into a Big Gulp or similar cup for even faster deployment. Never did it myself but drove the getaway car several times. Bob Smith downtown was a particularly easy target, Transco was the Holy Grail.Now, most nights, there is a city "park ranger" Jeep Cherokee parked either on Main or on Fannin near the circle keeping an eye on the fountain(s). It's been there since the Mecom repairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashman Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Probably funny the first time this happend (in the 60's!)But when you consider that the city has to shut the fountain down, clean it out, and take a city employee at least a full day to make it happen, are you really proud of yoruself for doing this?How, exactly, is this different than throwing garbage out the window that someone else has to clean up.Grow up, for goodness sake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonranger Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Probably funny the first time this happend (in the 60's!)But when you consider that the city has to shut the fountain down, clean it out, and take a city employee at least a full day to make it happen, are you really proud of yoruself for doing this?How, exactly, is this different than throwing garbage out the window that someone else has to clean up.Grow up, for goodness sake.agreed, pathetic behaviour, worse than grafitti. The fountain is awesome and anyone who messes it up should be arrested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.