paint shortly after graffiti was applied."
The profile of taggers is 18 to 25, white, male, and from the suburbs, though
females are getting into the picture more and more. Gang graffiti is another
story.
As to Mr. Dombuoy's notion that we learn to love graffiti, not a chance in the
world. The property owner has to remove it or be fined by the city. If the
property owner does not remove it him/herself within an ordinance-defined time
period, the city removes it and charges the owner. Getting graffiti off brick
and stucco is a bear of a chore requiring a product called "elephant snot,"
costing $11/qt., a wire brush, and a great deal of elbow grease.
When the man who bought a property across Lake St. from my house, he spent long
hours repairing and painting it inside and out after his day job. He has had to
remove graffiti at least three times since last summer and I fully expect that
he'll have to do it many more times.
Gang graffiti is a statement about territory that the gang appropriates as its
own. Thus both 38th St. and Lake St. are covered with gang graffiti, as well as
all the alleys between.
In winter, the ordinance still requires that property owners remove graffiti,
but painting in January is a fool's errand.
None of the graffiti I've seen has been sprayed by anyone with any talent as a
painter. Even should they practice till the second coming, they still won't
have any talent.