# Sothern California has a Tuba Thief on the loose! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 15, 2012, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sothern-california-has-a-tuba-thief-on-the-loose/615897 "2012-03-15T20:48:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sothern-california-has-a-tuba-thief-on-the-loose/615897/1 "2012-03-15T20:48:05Z")
[Story here](http://www.11alive.com/News/Odd/231874/186/Thief-stealing-tubas-from-high-school-bands) > [@](#): > > [M]ore than two dozen tubas have vanished from area schools recently while other instruments are left untouched. All you tuba players, be careful. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sothern-california-has-a-tuba-thief-on-the-loose/615897/2 "2012-03-15T21:01:19Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > All you tuba players, be careful. The problem isn’t so much that they’re stealing the tubas so much are they’re doing so to play banda. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sothern-california-has-a-tuba-thief-on-the-loose/615897/3 "2012-03-15T22:05:43Z")
That must have been one slow and noisy getaway ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sothern-california-has-a-tuba-thief-on-the-loose/615897/4 "2012-03-15T22:44:39Z")
well, southern california is the tuba capital of the world. Acme Tuba, Tuba World, Tubas ‘R’ Us, International House of Tubas, Tuba Or Not Tuba, Tuba Ligation. ---
**Author:** ![florez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9e5f3/32.png) [@florez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/florez)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sothern-california-has-a-tuba-thief-on-the-loose/615897/5 "2012-03-15T22:46:23Z")
Maybe they are using the tubas for something else besides music:confused: ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sothern-california-has-a-tuba-thief-on-the-loose/615897/6 "2012-03-16T01:21:49Z")
Maybe some of them were used to form a musical quartet; the Tuba Fours 😃 :rolleyes: (I should slink away **now** ) ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sothern-california-has-a-tuba-thief-on-the-loose/615897/7 "2012-03-16T01:24:14Z")
Have you notified TubaDiva? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sothern-california-has-a-tuba-thief-on-the-loose/615897/8 "2012-03-16T04:30:33Z")
[Getting ready to throw down](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08g0VroT2MA&feature=related) ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sothern-california-has-a-tuba-thief-on-the-loose/615897/9 "2012-03-16T06:42:50Z")
How could something like this be anything but an inside job? At my high school, you couldn’t just walk the halls and find the band room and walk out with _anything_. That shit was kept under lock and key, and strange adults on the premises would be questioned before they even made it that far. Oh nm. Just read the article and it appears the schools were broken into. Even my broke-ass school had hallway cameras, though. Dunno how you could get away with something like this. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sothern-california-has-a-tuba-thief-on-the-loose/615897/10 "2012-03-16T11:34:55Z")
We had a thread about Southern California Tuba Thefts back in December: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=634627&highlight=tuba](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=634627&highlight=tuba) Is this a continuation of that tubaz-stealing spree, or is this a new outbreak? And I still think it’s because El Tubadero ran out of tubas. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sothern-california-has-a-tuba-thief-on-the-loose/615897/11 "2012-03-16T12:01:29Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Have you notified TubaDiva? Notified her? She’s the prime suspect. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sothern-california-has-a-tuba-thief-on-the-loose/615897/12 "2012-03-16T23:22:06Z")
Could they be sold for their metal? Copper and brass thieves are stealing pipes out of houses, and even trying to steal power lines. > [@](#): > > Metal theft is “the theft of items for the value of their constituent metals”.[1] It usually increases when worldwide prices for scrap metal rise, as has happened dramatically due to rapid industrialization in India and China. The metals most commonly stolen are copper, aluminium, brass, and bronze. > **[Metal theft](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_theft)** > > Metal theft is "the theft of items for the value of their constituent metals". It usually increases when worldwide prices for scrap metal rise, as has happened dramatically due to rapid industrialization in India and China. Apart from precious metals like gold and silver, the metals most commonly stolen are non-ferrous metals such as copper, aluminium, brass, and bronze. However, even cast iron and steel are seeing higher rates of theft due to increased scrap metal prices. > One defining character... ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sothern-california-has-a-tuba-thief-on-the-loose/615897/13 "2012-03-16T23:31:08Z")
Tubad for them. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sothern-california-has-a-tuba-thief-on-the-loose/615897/14 "2012-03-16T23:42:25Z")
It’s alleged to be to supply the demands of Mexican bands, but if these are brass tubas, I suspect they are being scrapped for metal. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2012, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sothern-california-has-a-tuba-thief-on-the-loose/615897/15 "2012-03-17T00:04:20Z")
I hope when they’re caught someone has the presence of mind to play the sad tuba sound. ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2012, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sothern-california-has-a-tuba-thief-on-the-loose/615897/16 "2012-03-17T00:15:12Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > It’s alleged to be to supply the demands of Mexican bands, but if these are brass tubas, I suspect they are being scrapped for metal. That’s crazy. Brass is about $1.50/lb. [http://www.earthworksrecycling.com/prices/index.html](http://www.earthworksrecycling.com/prices/index.html) Brass tubas weigh about 15 lb and cost well above $1,000 [http://www.instrumentalsavings.com/Tubas-s/698.htm?gclid=CM3fvKHS7K4CFcRM4AodrnE\_Hg](http://www.instrumentalsavings.com/Tubas-s/698.htm?gclid=CM3fvKHS7K4CFcRM4AodrnE_Hg) . ---
**Author:** ![florez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9e5f3/32.png) [@florez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/florez)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2012, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sothern-california-has-a-tuba-thief-on-the-loose/615897/17 "2012-03-17T00:34:14Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > It’s alleged to be to supply the demands of Mexican bands, but if these are brass tubas, I suspect they are being scrapped for metal. Thats right, blame the Mexicans! It is one thing no Mexican can resist, we gotta have them tubas. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2012, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sothern-california-has-a-tuba-thief-on-the-loose/615897/18 "2012-03-17T00:38:29Z")
Metal theft is insane. you got homes being broken into and walls & floors ripped open for the copper pipes and wire. 20 to 30 grand of damage so some asshole can sell less than a $100 worth of copper. I can easily see brass instruments stolen for scrap metal. > [@11811](#): > > That’s crazy. > > Brass is about $1.50/lb. > [http://www.earthworksrecycling.com/prices/index.html](http://www.earthworksrecycling.com/prices/index.html) > Brass tubas weigh about 15 lb and cost well above $1,000 > [http://www.instrumentalsavings.com/Tubas-s/698.htm?gclid=CM3fvKHS7K4CFcRM4AodrnE\_Hg](http://www.instrumentalsavings.com/Tubas-s/698.htm?gclid=CM3fvKHS7K4CFcRM4AodrnE_Hg) . ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2012, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sothern-california-has-a-tuba-thief-on-the-loose/615897/19 "2012-03-17T03:01:38Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I can easily see brass instruments stolen for scrap metal. It’s possible, but why [leave the trombones and trumpets](http://www.freep.com/usatoday/article/53421518), then? All I can say is that, of all the great music from Mexico, it’s really unfortunate that banda is the one that’s getting more popular. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2012, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sothern-california-has-a-tuba-thief-on-the-loose/615897/20 "2012-03-17T03:05:08Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > It’s possible, but why [leave the trombones and trumpets](http://www.freep.com/usatoday/article/53421518), then? > > All I can say is that, of all the great music from Mexico, it’s really unfortunate that banda is the one that’s getting more popular. Ok, that would rule out scrap metal. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sothern-california-has-a-tuba-thief-on-the-loose/615897.md?page=2)