People and travelers along Route 66 for years have dealt with the nuisance and inconvenience of the occasional theft of directional signs.
But a recent rash of such thefts in southeast Kansas — nine in all — have gotten the attention of the Kansas Historic Route 66 Association and the Kansas Department of Transportation.
KOAM-TV reports:
Renee Charles, Kansas Historic Route 66 Association:”For that many signs to be cut down and taken, somebody’s either just doing vandalism, or their gathering up signs to sell somewhere. And it’s really depressing.” […]
Billy Charles, Galena Police Chief:”One or two signs per year usually come up missing, but this is the first time that they’ve actually sawed off the pole and took the whole pole.”
Wayne Nelson, K-DOT:”of the about 15 years I’ve been here, this is the most I’ve seen stolen at one time.”
The state agency said it would replace the signs before the weekend. But Nelson said not only were the thefts costing money to taxpayers, but such acts could have economic effects.
Nelson:”When you’re taking a sign down that promotes Kansas and promotes the Route 66 and economic development for that area and people drive hundreds and thousands and thousands of miles to see that route. So it’s a really big thing for us to have these signs all of a sudden come up missing.” […]
Renee:”This is pretty much peak for tourism, and it’s always good to have directional signs up for some of them that don’t know how to follow the route.” […]
Renee:”I hope they would realize that we have thousands of tourists both foreign and domestic coming through, and they should realize that these signs are needed.”
Police are investigating the thefts, and officials said patrols along Route 66 in Kansas would be increased.
(Image of Kansas Historic Byway signs in Baxter Springs, Kansas, by Jimmy Emerson, DVM, via Flickr)
Same thing has been happening in Missouri, and it will continue as MODOT refuses to use tamper-proof bolts. They say, “It costs too much”!
It only takes 60 seconds to steal a sign, so thefts will plague the states from Chicago to L.A. until their Route 66 Associations put pressure on their Governors, their Tourism Associations and especially their DOT’s. (I actually had a Mayor in Missouri say that “Missing Route 66 signs would keep tourists in their town longer, and maybe they will buy something! ”
The Route 66 Chamber of Commerce has been fighting this problem for the last ten years with little concern, so maybe now things will change. For tips on how to save your signs, go to https://www.SignTheRoute.Homestead.com.
As for the Kansas situation, it should be obvious that wooden posts can be cut with a cordless saw in just seconds….the signs removed later. Metal posts with rebar in concrete, and signs attached with J-WELD epoxy, plus tamper-proof hardware, and engraved with a warning that states “THIS SIGN IS STOLEN” is a good start.
Good Luck!