http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/01/07/graffiti.death.ap/index.html

This of course pleases me.

I don't care what the little turds spray paint, if they're going around defacing property then they should be punished. If they're on train tracks, well, it's only obvious that this will happen eventually. At least this will be a lesson to some of the other little bastards.

What do you think of the term 'Graffiti Artist'? I will be the first to say that some of the things I've seen spray painted have been impressive, but it's still vandalism.

Whoops.

Whoops.


Squish.

Rather than remove graffiti (which is time-consuming, expensive, and sometimes hazardous) or painting over the wall with a uniform color (which only gives graffiti "artists" a new wall to screw up), some cities have resorted to painitng murals over the graffiti. I think this is perhaps the best way to address the problem.

Indeed, some graffiti is very impressive, but most of it looks like crap.

Rather than fine or jail many offenders, I'd sentence them to clean up graffiti - with artwork. For example, if you are caught tagging the side of Bill's Sporting Goods, you'd have to paint something Bill wanted on the side of his business (Bill might like a big sign that says "Bill's Sporting Goods"). Why make the business owner or community eat the cost of cleaning up an "artist's" handywork?

This is also a bit of the "eye for an eye" system of punishment.

If one graffitied a billboard, streetsign, statue, etc. (in other words, something that would require clean-up, professional repainting or replacement), then the graffiti artist should eat that cost (no 200$ fine - if it costs $3,362.21 to clean, that is your fine, plus interest), and perhaps spend some time in the city jail.

I've seen a few sites calling for graffiti to be a felony. I disagree with that: the last thing we need is more people clogging up prisons for stupid crap.

Here's a few articles:

http://www.ci.sat.tx.us/graffiti/murals.asp?res=800&ver=true

http://www.metroactive.com/papers/cruz/04.30.03/clean-slate-0318.html

Like any complex problem there is no easy answer.

On an aside, I paint quite a bit and almost never use spray paint (except for the occasional can of Kilz). Spray paint should be much harder to obtain: aside from graffiti, kids also huff that stuff to get high. I can't really see anyone lugging around a gallon jug of paint, let alone an air compressor to graffiti something.

Rather than remove graffiti (which is time-consuming, expensive, and sometimes hazardous) or painting over the wall with a uniform color (which only gives graffiti "artists" a new wall to screw up), some cities have resorted to painitng murals over the graffiti. I think this is perhaps the best way to address the problem.

Indeed, some graffiti is very impressive, but most of it looks like crap.

Rather than fine or jail many offenders, I'd sentence them to clean up graffiti - with artwork. For example, if you are caught tagging the side of Bill's Sporting Goods, you'd have to paint something Bill wanted on the side of his business (Bill might like a big sign that says "Bill's Sporting Goods"). Why make the business owner or community eat the cost of cleaning up an "artist's" handywork?

This is also a bit of the "eye for an eye" system of punishment.

If one graffitied a billboard, streetsign, statue, etc. (in other words, something that would require clean-up, professional repainting or replacement), then the graffiti artist should eat that cost (no 200$ fine - if it costs $3,362.21 to clean, that is your fine, plus interest), and perhaps spend some time in the city jail.

I've seen a few sites calling for graffiti to be a felony. I disagree with that: the last thing we need is more people clogging up prisons for stupid crap.

Here's a few articles:

http://www.ci.sat.tx.us/graffiti/murals.asp?res=800&ver=true

http://www.metroactive.com/papers/cruz/04.30.03/clean-slate-0318.html

Like any complex problem there is no easy answer.

On an aside, I paint quite a bit and almost never use spray paint (except for the occasional can of Kilz). Spray paint should be much harder to obtain: aside from graffiti, kids also huff that stuff to get high. I can't really see anyone lugging around a gallon jug of paint, let alone an air compressor to graffiti something.


This is a really good idea. Not only that, but get the local prison population out to clean it up as well. You pay the cost of the clean-up.. and your big brother who's in jail could have enjoyed a nice day in his cell sleeping, instead, he's out cleaning graffiti, when he gets out, he's gonna pound your spray-painting ass. (They did that up in Connecticut).

Rather than remove graffiti (which is time-consuming, expensive, and sometimes hazardous) or painting over the wall with a uniform color (which only gives graffiti "artists" a new wall to screw up), some cities have resorted to painitng murals over the graffiti. I think this is perhaps the best way to address the problem.
.......
If one graffitied a billboard, streetsign, statue, etc. (in other words, something that would require clean-up, professional repainting or replacement), then the graffiti artist should eat that cost (no 200$ fine - if it costs $3,362.21 to clean, that is your fine, plus interest), and perhaps spend some time in the city jail.


Karma +1

I agree completely with these two parts of your statement!