ON THE FRONT LINE WITH ARAGLIN’S SCRAP METAL COLLECTORS
The progressive communities of Ballindangan and Killavullen were on the scrap metal collection trail recently. Their motivation? Very simple really, the rocketing price of all kinds of metal. When it seemed this vital commodity couldn’t rise any further in value, the actions of Putin’s tanks this week pushed prices up another notch - a lucrative venture if ever there was one.
As regards the process, community activists are quick to appeal for metal donors, however, for a variety of reasons, we rarely get any insight into the nitty gritty of the business, i.e. how are items sourced?; how are they retrieved?; how are they moved from A to B?; what excactly is involved?
IF YOU CAN’T BEAT THEM....
Encouraged by the finanical success of the aforementioned locations, Araglin, which has an extensive rural hinterland, went down the same road. Alerted to the fact that scrap metal volunteers would be on the move, I enquired about tagging along, and operating on the strict condition that I wouldn’t get in the way, it was all systems go.
There was, I was told, going to be an early start along with ‘ some pulling and dragging’, it came as a relief when I discovered this scribe would be neither ‘ pulling’ or ‘dragging’.
The local chuch seemed an odd place to start, but there were no complaints. The target, ‘ an unattended vehicle’. I quickly realised this would be a ‘shoot first asked questions later’ type of operation.
The small matter of causing a major racket in the early hours (would babies be awakened?) concerned me a little. No matter, in double quick time the car (a 1.6 Opel Vectra) was speared by a tractor powered grab and rather skilfully, it must be admitted, lobbed in the back of a trailer. It was ‘all part of the scrap metal business’ I was assured.
The tractor, the grab, the car and the trailer did seem to be blocking a public road - would Mass goers be discommoded? - would local parish priest, Canon Leahy have something to say - not a bit of it, everyone was on board and it was, again, according to those in the know, ‘all part of the scrap metal business’.
A car, albeit an old car, must have an owner. In this instance he/she was no where to be seen, I rather innocently asked ‘ would they be back soon?’. Things were in hand, came the reply, there was no need for probing questions. In summary, everything was grand and this was, yes, ‘all part of the scrap metal business’.
And so it came to pass that without hindrance, the car was picked up and brought to a secure location. Later, I couldn’t help but notice that this vehicle which was removed with its four wheels intact, was now wheelless - was this normal? The answer was similar in tone to my first query - I needn’t worry about such things as this was ‘all part of the scrap metal business’.
ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL
It was to be a busy day for collectors who, without map or sat nav, moved effortlessly through country lanes and down winding boreens. As things worked out, the owner of the Opel Vectra did surface and was delighted to see the back of his banger.
An unofficial clean up of sheds, outhouses and farm yards, those who provided raw material were more than happy to avail of this free service. To the uneducated eye, an unsophisticated operation, this is in fact a procedure that benefits both the donor and collector - early starts, plenty pulling and even more dragging for community activists, it’s just another day at the office and ‘all part of the scrap metal business’.