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Ever heard the phrase, “Choose your battles wisely”? Some attribute it to The Bible (Timothy 6:12, 20), others to Sun Tzu. But wherever it comes from, it means that you can’t win every fight. And choosing your fights strategically gives you a better chance to win the greater war.

The city of Oakland, California seems to have identified a battle it would rather not fight. A battle over the intersection of 16th Avenue and 12th Street, to be exact. The city pulled down the stoplights that had been hanging over the intersection and replaced them with overhead stop signs. Why? Because copper thieves have been stripping the units of wiring. Repeatedly.

Two Oakland Police Department cruisers parked at an intersection
Oakland Police Department | Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The KRON news channel interviewed business owners on the intersection to get the entire story.

“The stoplight never worked. It probably worked about maybe 24-48 hours, then copper got stolen and took out the electricity. I guess they got tired of fixing it.”

Bruce Vuoing, owner of Quality Tech Automotive

Mr. Vuoing may have had one of the more charitable opinions on the intersection. One of his neighbors felt that Oakland could have fought this battle longer, and with a different strategy.

“It’s just telling us that the city is giving up on us. The city did try to fix the traffic light at least a few times. But once they fixed it, normally within a week or so, it will go out again. If you really want to fix the stop sign, I think you really have to clean up this homeless encampment.”

Tam Le, owner of Le’s Auto Body & Engine Repair

The city of Oakland is struggling with a $177 million deficit. So while it bears the brunt of the Bay Area’s homeless problem, it is struggling to make a dent in encampments. Vuoling’s shop even suffered an armed robbery. After calling 911, he had to wait eight minutes for a police response.

The upside of the stop signs? Vuoing added that drivers are now slower and more cautious while navigating the intersection.

Sadly, this is not the first copper theft story we’ve heard out of the Bay Area this month. In fact, 27 miles north EV owners found Tesla superchargers torn apart for copper. See coverage of Oakland’s intersection dilemma in the video below:

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Staff Writer

Henry Cesari

Henry Cesari joined MotorBiscuit in 2021 and brings his deep interest in vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles to the site. Having restored his first classic car at just 16 years old, Henry has wrenched on everything from overland campers to Japanese motorcycles and even pre-war Bugattis. Henry is also an avid attendee at local car shows and genuinely enjoys connecting with fellow auto enthusiasts.

Henry earned a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and English from the University of Vermont. He has since incorporated his love of the written word with his admiration of classic cars. While Henry is interested in vintage cars, he believes the golden age of cars is yet to come. He is confident journalists will play an important role in this revolution by exposing the industry as it is now and envisioning its possible future.