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This was a crime of opportunity. Our national culture teaches our population to seize any opportunity presented or else you're a sucker. We have been taught that if you're not caught no crime was committed, plus that it is acceptable to wriggle out of the responsibility later if you've got the money or power. In a time where our goverment and corporations are getting away with more abuse of power than ever, executive privelege is keeping the ones who should be held to the highest standards from being punished, and a majority of the population is living paycheck to paycheck (also learned through government example) or don't make a livable wage anyway, I don't think it is a surprise that some of our citizens react this way. Additionally the city should have the capacity to guard a disaster zone of this scale.

Re: Firemen looting in Chicago.
Brian, you were so skeptical, but it happens.

During a well-documented neighborhood fire on Jan. 17, 1992, which occurred due to a gas surge, I was living with my uncle in his 3-flat which was one of the first to catch fire. My uncle had cash and small antiques taken from our apartment, which we were able to lock after the fire. Not only were there several reports of firemen looting (which was known to be a not-uncommon occurance) but from across the street my uncle witnessed one of the firemen actually dropping one of the pieces into the lot next door. 19 buildings were damaged or destroyed in this event and 5 people perished. And even in this kind of disaster humans - yes, even firemen are human- somehow manage to rationalize that it's ok to steal.

#2--good points. I might add, though, that not only does kindness come from strength but that strength also comes from kindness.

A NYC firefighter told me once that after a fire they look thru people's DVD collections. Especially porn cause they will never report that to the cops.

I was around for the 2003 blackout and thought that the event happened without intentional fires or looting (I think) so I was very impressed. I got the feeling that my fellow New Yorkers were very tired and wanted a different post-9/11 NYC. It made me (more) proud.

One of the most often rationalized excuses for this kind of theft is "Their insurance will cover the loss."

I imagine there is a degree of fatalism in looting mentality; that if you don't take things, someone else inevitably will. On a more theoretical level, the removal of barriers and norms (the breakdown of physical walls in the case of the crane accident) interrupts the way that people's notions of what is appropriate.

After the steam pipe explosion lst summer our offices had things stolen - we don't know who it could have been but the first responders seem like likely culprits since access was very limited

Whatever happened to holding ourselves to higher standards and using conscience to police ourselves ? Just because others are doing something wrong is just not a good excuse!

so when another crane falls (god forbid) ; will the new york national guard have to be called in preseve people's property ???

no personal boundries.

isn't this the same idea as the woman who wrote a book about why the right wing used the tragedy of 9-11 to basically loot this country? [sorry i can't remember her name right now].

absolutists/fundamentalists/idealogues/true believers, people who are all OR nothing at all, have no personal boundries. They don't understand that kindness comes from strength.

during Katrina grabbing food and water is acceptable behavior. Grabbing tv's, sneakers, dvd's and luxury items is theft

bob