Quote:
Originally Posted by C6Flatfoot
You are too nice Rich,
I would've pressed charges for the petty theft of the bamboo just to break his onions! He wouldn't have pulled any jail time, but would've had to pay you some damages, and serve some probation, and maybe some community service, which might have made him think twice before pulling a stunt like that again.
Then again, this guy probably doesn't think anyway. 
He's lucky he hasn't been shot by someone.
Is the cut bamboo worth anything or good for anything?
Great job with the cameras! 
Hope there is no repeat of this crap for you.
c6 flatfoot |
The large bamboo was worth more to me uncut. I am letting the grove mature (I started it about 15 years ago) so the culms get taller and wider with age. This particular variety (Phyllostachys vivax) can get 60 feet tall and 6 inches in diameter. In the future I'm planning to cut sections of it and sell those sections in the reptile market for cage accessories for snakes and lizards. But I want the grove to get much bigger first so I have a good supply of large culms and won't damage the plant (yes, a bamboo grove is a SINGLE plant) by harvesting those culms. Cutting them prematurely can cause successive shoots to be smaller than they would be otherwise.
As for the small stuff, I really don't care much about that. Good for fishing poles, and we have a LOT of it here. Matter of fact, I have some culms (poles) that I cut down from another grove although not as big as the vivax, still good sized that I would have given to the guy just for the asking. Otherwise it's destined to go into the chipper/shredder next time I crank it up.
No, we were pissed that the guy trespassed and damaged our property, but not enough to try to ruin someone's life by trying to send them to jail over it. Of course, if he ever comes back here, then we'll do our best to fry him.
And yeah, had I walked outside and seen him standing in my yard holding a machete, he would have been offered two choices: (1) drop the machete, or (2) be shot. Since this would have taken place in camera range, I think I would have had all the evidence I needed to be cleared in court if I had had to shoot him.