These are the tags in my neighborhood. . .
Tagging is not art.
There. I said it. Tagging is vandalism, and I think it's ugly. My building was tagged, again, a few days ago. So, it got me thinking about the other tags in Hayes Valley. Add a camera and voila: mosaic!
Aren't they lovely? They add that certain "local flavor" to the area, right? No, not really. But, why do they exist? Wikipedia has an entry for gang graffiti that might reveal a little: Graffiti
Graffiti is not a calling card. Plus, I don't care how ancient the tradition is. As the Wikipedia entry states, "the public generally frowns upon "tags" that deface bus stops, trains, buildings, playgrounds and other public property." It's the human equivalent to a dog pissing on a tree in order to mark its territory. It's sub-human.
People even do it on the trains and buses:
Despite the warnings:
And it takes a lot to clean this stuff up. Paint, soap, brushes, time and money. Maybe we can learn a little from this video:
In the end, I'm here to advocate extreme measures. If someone is caught tagging, he or she should be flogged. Or shot. Or beheaded. Something like that. Or, they should be forced to eat the paint or the innards of the pen/marker being used. Or, sentenced to watch "The Fantastic Four" movies on an unending loop for an entire month. That would do it.
Please. Don't tag my building again. Thanks.
There. I said it. Tagging is vandalism, and I think it's ugly. My building was tagged, again, a few days ago. So, it got me thinking about the other tags in Hayes Valley. Add a camera and voila: mosaic!
Aren't they lovely? They add that certain "local flavor" to the area, right? No, not really. But, why do they exist? Wikipedia has an entry for gang graffiti that might reveal a little: Graffiti
Graffiti is not a calling card. Plus, I don't care how ancient the tradition is. As the Wikipedia entry states, "the public generally frowns upon "tags" that deface bus stops, trains, buildings, playgrounds and other public property." It's the human equivalent to a dog pissing on a tree in order to mark its territory. It's sub-human.
People even do it on the trains and buses:
Despite the warnings:
And it takes a lot to clean this stuff up. Paint, soap, brushes, time and money. Maybe we can learn a little from this video:
In the end, I'm here to advocate extreme measures. If someone is caught tagging, he or she should be flogged. Or shot. Or beheaded. Something like that. Or, they should be forced to eat the paint or the innards of the pen/marker being used. Or, sentenced to watch "The Fantastic Four" movies on an unending loop for an entire month. That would do it.
Please. Don't tag my building again. Thanks.
Comments
My solution is to follow the taggers back and then tag their car and house when no one's looking. My suspicion is that suddenly, ideas of art and tradition would take a back seat to ideas of their property. Hypocritical asswipes.