I am working with several countries assisting them in battling graffiti. In the last few months we have noticed a huge increase in graffiti on construction sites. Everything from the Supplies, Foundation walls, Sound walls, Heavy machinery, and even the portable bathrooms are getting tagged. I am interested in finding out how far this form of using graffiti to rebuke the large construction companies has traveled?

Replying to [Jimmy Neutron ]:

My landlord (who lives right next to me) loves to have his houses in tip top shape. Therefore he even has his own maintenance crew, something not common at all in Mexico. Anything that doesn't look right or work right is repaired immediately. Of course his tennants - like me - love that, but this taste for the orderly isn't shared by everybody, especially not the criminal juvenile gangs.

So they started targetting those houses they knew were his property and "graffitied" them one night. To their misfortune, just by coincidence my landlord arrived minutes later from a trip. Seeing what had happened, he immediately called his crew and had the walls painted over. By six in the morning the houses looked like new.

Some hours later the gang members drove by to "admire" their "art". What a disappointment for them seeing that it was all gone! They got so mad that they came back the next night, leaving their graffiti on the freshly painted walls. But my landlord had fully epected that and purchased quite a few pails of paint. At 3 AM he called his maintenance crew and had the walls painted again. When people got up to go to work, there was not a trace of what had happened that night!

I don't know for how many nights that went on, but that was probably two or three years ago, and there is no more graffiti. In fact, all over the city you only see old graffiti at best, but no new ones. It's just too expensive for these guys to buy so many spray cans. They had no other chance than giving up.

Maybe that's the solution you need.

Replying to [germex]:I thank you for your thoughts. I wish all graffiti could be dealt with and have such a good ending. Most of the graffiti here is used to advertise the sales of gang drugs or guns. When our cities paint over them as your landlord did, they punish the cities and put up 5 times as much graffiti as was there before. The gangs are using Muriatic Acid mixed with India Ink. That makes a permanent Tag on brick, concrete and raw stone. 5 people have been shot while they were removing graffiti. Some Cities are using the police force to remove graffiti. They gangs will always exist, and they will always sell things to our children. I am just traveling and protecting some of the walls in Lots and Lots of Cities.

Replying to [Jimmy Neutron ]:

Wow, you really do have a problem! Evidently your gangs are much more resourceful (including economical resources) than ours. And the five people were killed in L.A., I guess.

You say that gangs will always exist. Well, I really don't see any other option than fighting just this notion. It's like weeding grass: if you just cut the leaves once in a while, nothing will happen in the long run. You have to pull the roots! Same with those gangs.

Here is an example on how other countries deal with criminals:
http://rense.com/general78/howchina.htm

Replying to [germex]:I thank you again for your time.
I am working with a few Senators towards a federal penalty in hopes of minimizing the damaging effects graffiti is having on our small business owners. I grew up in Kenya, East Africa. The British were very Keen on giving out punishment with the CAIN. I wonder if a little caning could remove "some" of the behavior problems teenagers are exhibiting.

I am also a grandfather and confess it is Wonderful!

Sincerely,

Jimmy

Replying to [Jimmy Neutron ]:

Hi my fellow grandpa! It's nice to see I'm not the only one in this rewarding condition!

I just remembered something I saw in Germany about 15 years ago. There were special "graffiti boards" in train stations and other places. Sometimes you would even find markers, etc. So if you felt like it, you were free to write and draw whatever you wanted (except those 100+ "thought items" that are now forbidden in Germany).

Just like I gave up smoking as soon as it was legal for me, people gave up leaving their "foot prints" all over the cities. It just wasn't fun anymore doing things that now were legal. Many have this "I'm against it - whatever it is", and seeing that there are no more closed doors to open takes the wind right out of their sails.

So maybe sneering at those graffiti - telling them basically, "if you want to look like a little kid who has to paint on walls and everything, go ahead and make a fool of yourself" - might be the best and easiest solution. If you just laugh your... (hind end) off, laughing about those silly graffiti, guess for how long they'll continue doing that. And that kind of "law enforcement" won't cost a penny.

Replying to [germex]:Germex GrandFather,

I am again thankful for your insight. It is a very sound theory- to legalize a problem does seem to reduces the desire of the adolescence to preform the illegal activity. Former Prime Minister Blair was considering that very solution for England.
I have seen the extremes on both sides of this issue. Paint is just paint. I have buisness owners loading their guns and waiting in the shadows. They are taking the graffiti as a personal attack. Graffiti removal costs are weekly, Their customers are dwindling down because they see the graffiti and are afraid of the gang activity. Business is going down and they are trying to feed their families.
The gangs use the graffiti to drum up buisness. They are feeding their families. This is a very sad Doctor Sues children's story book about those who have and those who have not!
If only more of the population heard the giggle of a grandchild and felt bliss.
I think little fingers if given a chance could hold the world together.

Sincerly,
Jimmy