Shanghai residents, hold on to your manhole covers

Next time you see someone carrying a phone booth down the street, call the police. From Reuters:

Being bolted down is not enough in booming Shanghai where a crackdown has begun on scrap metal thieves stealing phone booths, traffic lights, manhole covers and wiring.

Tempted by soaring prices for metal, thieves stripped one residential compound of two thirds of its fire extinguishers.

"Some scrap metal dealers have become a channel for fencing stolen material," Shanghai government spokeswoman Jiao Yang told a news conference on Wednesday, announcing new regulations and permit requirements for dealers.

Here's a tip to thieves in need of metal: steal cars. They have tires that make the getaway easier. And Shanghai has way too many of them.