Comments

1
I swear to god, if I never see the word "gentrify" again, I could possibly die happy.

"Oh my god, they're making changes to my neighborhood that might benefit people! Gentrification!"
2
These "words" tell me that vandalism is a perverted form of free speech, one that should come with stiff fines and penalties.

Thanks for sharing. I only hope your glorification of the illegal act of graffiti doesn't inspire others to join in. But if it does, it would be awesome karma if it happened on your block, covering everything you hold dear.
3
@2, without knowing the locations, perpetrators, and property owners of any given scrawl, you're hardly in a position to decry it as illegal graffiti.

And even given that any of these was definitely unauthorized, they're all less of an eyesore than the "tagging" where a vandal writes his/her "name" all over the place like so many territorial pissings. At least these have meaningful content beyond "I was here".
4
@3, to my eye there's not much difference between tagging and graffiti because it all takes a whole lot of elbow grease and harsh chemicals to remove.

But seriously, what utility would authorize "wake up" on their valve cover or "drink malt liquor" on their junction boxes? No one would. Therefore I stand by my assertion these were unauthorized, illegal acts.

Furthermore, what do you mean by "property owners of any given scrawl"? Are you placing a tagger's make believe ownership of their markings over the actual owner's possession of the involuntary canvass? Interesting logic there.
5
Down with this sort of thing!
6
The city is telling me: "We love these new 40 to 100 story buildings!"

Fnarf who?

ROFLMFGO

7
@4, um, no, you misread me. "of any given scrawl" was applying to "locations, perpetrators, and property owners", not merely "property owners". Meaning that you would need to know all the facts before you could jump to that conclusion. Even the gas main cover plate could be in a former utility right of way that is now private property.

And I'm sorry that your eye can't appreciate the difference between a potentially thought-provoking statement and mere self-aggrandizement. Even if they're equally illegal in the eyes of the law, I maintain that the former is morally superior to the latter.
8
@7 morally superior? So one perpetrator paid attention in English composition but not in civics? That's a distinction without a difference: they're all criminals for spray paintng their expression on other's property without permission.

Just because one tagger's mark is thought provoking doesn't make it any less thoughtless or less illegal. And I doubt the property owner could care less about the tag's meaningful content as they attempt to scrub it away without causing further damage or harm to the environment.

Art & poetry have their place but it isn't up to a rogue 'artist" to put it anywhere they see fit.
9
Is that a 7 fingered hand giving me the middle finger?
10
last spring during a private guided tour of westminster abbey our guide pointed with pride to names that had been carved in the benches by bored choir boys in the benches of england's most hallowed halls, including the coronation chair which arguably is one of their most revered artifacts. the guide snickered something about the the proof that boys have always been boys now throughout centuries of civilization in every land and culture around the world. and so the outrage continues...
11
@10 I too have seen the coronation chair and the 16th century graffiti at the Tower of London, consisting of prisoner names scratched into the six-foot cell walls. Today these etchings are considered historic, partly as a glimpse into the of life ancient times, but also because of the rarity of such findings. Far into the future, historians of today's era aren't likely to be impressed with what our current generation was left behind. Selfish defacement of others' property on a massive scale.
12
@8, Yes, they're equally illegal (if you had been paying attention, I already said that), but as far as I'm concerned, the one is definitely more thoughtless than the other.

I think we're going to have to agree to disagree. De gustibus non est disputandem. You abhor all illegal forms of expression while I find some of them interesting.
13
@12 Agreed. I posted my original comment as I sense that promoting this type of expression is detrimental, encouraging additional vandalism. I'm curious if Megan knows the detail of these "words." Scanning the other photo pages, the majority appeared unsolicited. I suspect those living nearby wish they could "unhear" most of this unappreciated "noise."

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