Graffiti and Vandalism

[Heartland]

A walk along the BCN main line near Matchbox City (Port Loop) has its interesting moments. Dodging the cyclists requires a honed skill and now the electric scooters are also racing along the towpath, the hazards factor has doubled. Most cyclists now use bells to warn of their approach, there is no warning from a fast moving scooter.

 

This was an area noted for industrial heritage, but every wall and structure is covered by graffiti and if anything stands still long enough that gets the same treatment. I used to think those responsible for graffiti did their work under the cover of darkness, but yesterday I noticed two young men with their paint cans actively spraying paint at the bridge where Monument Lane crosses. This was at 6 00 pm. The smell of the awful solvent wafted across the canal to the other side where I was walking. One boater who asked them what they were doing apparently received abuse as an answer.

 

Whilst the paint now covers paint on this section of towpath and the tribal inscription of these modern troglodytes is a mixture of fresh and faded colours. It is not art, it is simply vandalism, which requires time, effort and money to remove. It is also vandalism as the heritage iron bridges are often covered by it, until CRT, or volunteers, remove it. There is also a powerful message that accompanies this act and that is this is a lawless area, please stay away. The fact that these "people" do it in broad daylight is of particular concern and it is difficult to see what is in their selfish minds as to the reason why it should be done. Yet it appears they believe themselves immune, and perhaps is a facet of their youth. However something must be done to rid the towpath of this menace.

     

 

 

 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

On the plus side, those nice Horsley Iron Works bridges aren't getting to go rusty. 

[Athy]

18 minutes ago, Heartland said:

However something must be done to rid the towpath of this menace.

     

 

 

 

Though it is certainly disfiguring and probably illegal, in what way is it a "menace"? I would suggest that the cyclists and scooterists are a far greater menace to other towpath users than a spotty oik spraying paint on a bridge.

[PeterScott]

August 2019.  Sandy Turn

 

Rotton Park Junction - Icknield Loop

 

 

Rotton Park Junction - Main Line

 

 

 

[Victor Vectis]

55 minutes ago, Athy said:

Though it is certainly disfiguring and probably illegal, in what way is it a "menace"? I would suggest that the cyclists and scooterists are a far greater menace to other towpath users than a spotty oik spraying paint on a bridge.

They BOTH are.

[Athy]

10 minutes ago, Victor Vectis said:

They BOTH are.

You've lost me.

Graffiti is not a menace to people.

[doratheexplorer]

Some of the graffiti along there is fantastic, some isn't.  My opinion is as subjective as anyone else's.

[Victor Vectis]

6 minutes ago, Athy said:

You've lost me.

Graffiti is not a menace to people.

Yes it is!

 

It is a visual menace and as the OP states disfigures heritage structures.

 

And it encourages scallies and scrotes to think they are the new Banksy.

 

I take it, Athy, that you would not object to someone graffiting your garden wall?

[Athy]

1 minute ago, Victor Vectis said:

 

 

I take it, Athy, that you would not object to someone graffiting your garden wall?

Why do you take it? Don't be silly.

It is not a menace, though. That is simply the wrong word.

[Thomas C King]

I like it, personally. It looks drab and boring to me without.

[BWM]

16 minutes ago, Athy said:

Why do you take it? Don't be silly.

It is not a menace, though. That is simply the wrong word.

It could be seen as menacing and intimidating by many, hence its use as a backdrop in so many films to denote no go/gang areas.

  The defacing and masking of canalside heritage certainly falls within the definition of a menace on society. 

5 minutes ago, Thomas C King said:

I like it, personally. It looks drab and boring to me without.

 That is absurd, it removes the unique industrial grittiness - imagine a series like Peaky blinders being shot with that scrawl in the background, or perhaps the black country museum 'brightened up'!

  There are some great street art pieces in Leamington on nondescript modern buildings that definitely add value to the area but the poorly drawn, narcissistic 'tags' are of no interest to anyone but the vain scribbler.

Edited August 12, 2020 by BWM

[Athy]

25 minutes ago, BWM said:

It could be seen as menacing and intimidating by many,

Not on a towpath, which is what we were discussing, I'd say.

For years the bridge at Marston Junction had "Steve" written across it. I never felt intimidated by it when turning into the Ashby Canal, but I did think that it rather disfigured the bridge and detracted from its visual appeal. 

[doratheexplorer]

35 minutes ago, BWM said:

 That is absurd, it removes the unique industrial grittiness - imagine a series like Peaky blinders being shot with that scrawl in the background, or perhaps the black country museum 'brightened up'!

  There are some great street art pieces in Leamington on nondescript modern buildings that definitely add value to the area but the poorly drawn, narcissistic 'tags' are of no interest to anyone but the vain scribbler.

It's not absurd, it's a subjective opinion.  As is yours.  Peaky Blinders would look wrong with modern graffiti in the back ground, as it would if there was a Ford Focus in shot.  If in another century a gritty drama was set in 2020 Birmingham, then graffiti in the back ground would be correct.

 

There are tourist attractions in caves, where ancient civilisations have drawn graffiti on the walls.  Historians find them fascinating.  Perhaps they should be sand blasted off?

 

Even the awful tagging by the canal serves a useful purpose, it warns me not to moor overnight near there.

Edited August 12, 2020 by doratheexplorer

[Jen-in-Wellies]

There are things that might seem menacing and intimidating to some people and things that set out to be menacing and intimidating by design. I'd put spay paint firmly in the first category. In the second and built by a government to menace and intimidate would be something like this:

 

 

[matty40s]

What would the old railway bridge on the puddle banks be without its PInk floyd ....

[smiler]

2 hours ago, Heartland said:

A walk along the BCN main line near Matchbox City (Port Loop) has its interesting moments. Dodging the cyclists requires a honed skill and now the electric scooters are also racing along the towpath, the hazards factor has doubled. Most cyclists now use bells to warn of their approach, there is no warning from a fast moving scooter.

 

This was an area noted for industrial heritage, but every wall and structure is covered by graffiti and if anything stands still long enough that gets the same treatment. I used to think those responsible for graffiti did their work under the cover of darkness, but yesterday I noticed two young men with their paint cans actively spraying paint at the bridge where Monument Lane crosses. This was at 6 00 pm. The smell of the awful solvent wafted across the canal to the other side where I was walking. One boater who asked them what they were doing apparently received abuse as an answer.

 

Whilst the paint now covers paint on this section of towpath and the tribal inscription of these modern troglodytes is a mixture of fresh and faded colours. It is not art, it is simply vandalism, which requires time, effort and money to remove. It is also vandalism as the heritage iron bridges are often covered by it, until CRT, or volunteers, remove it. There is also a powerful message that accompanies this act and that is this is a lawless area, please stay away. The fact that these "people" do it in broad daylight is of particular concern and it is difficult to see what is in their selfish minds as to the reason why it should be done. Yet it appears they believe themselves immune, and perhaps is a facet of their youth. However something must be done to rid the towpath of this menace.

     

 

 

 

Did you report it to the police?

1 hour ago, Athy said:

You've lost me.

Graffiti is not a menace to people.

Graffiti is a victimless crime (mostly).

Just like a motorist speeding???

[Thomas C King]

56 minutes ago, BWM said:

It could be seen as menacing and intimidating by many, hence its use as a backdrop in so many films to denote no go/gang areas.

  The defacing and masking of canalside heritage certainly falls within the definition of a menace on society. 

 That is absurd, it removes the unique industrial grittiness - imagine a series like Peaky blinders being shot with that scrawl in the background, or perhaps the black country museum 'brightened up'!

  There are some great street art pieces in Leamington on nondescript modern buildings that definitely add value to the area but the poorly drawn, narcissistic 'tags' are of no interest to anyone but the vain scribbler.

 

My point is that it's subjective opinion. Some people might even hate so-called heritage buildings. Someone, somewhere, is likely to have an eyesore thrust into their retinas without their consent. The only way I can think of resolving it, is to take a poll of the locals. Then proportionally have X% of "things" looking one way, Y% another, and so on. But it's just too much effort, so just live and let live.

[tree monkey]

1 hour ago, matty40s said:

What would the old railway bridge on the puddle banks be without its PInk floyd ....

Or the short arse tojo on another bridge

[doratheexplorer]

18 minutes ago, tree monkey said:

Or the short arse tojo on another bridge

Blessed be his diminutive dwarfiness!

 

p.s.  Astle is the King!

Edited August 12, 2020 by doratheexplorer

[Heartland]

Laurence Hogg was of the opinion that a railway worker was responsible for the "Tojo" on the bridge at Albion and other Tojo's alongside the railway line. It was suggested that this nickname was applied to another railway worker.

 

As to a menace. It may be true that cyclists and those on scooters are more of a menace in relative terms. But I do believe the graffiti people are a menace and the two at the bridge were not the spotty oik type, but casually dressed young white guys..

 

As to ringing the police, I am working on a more general letter to Richard Parry.

 

 

[Just Heaven]

1 hour ago, smiler said:

Graffiti is a victimless crime (mostly).

Just like a motorist speeding???

I dont think you'd say that if your loved one was killed by a speeding motorist.

 

[Athy]

33 minutes ago, Heartland said:

the two at the bridge were not the spotty oik type, but casually dressed young white guys..

 

 

 

 

The two are not mutually exclusive.

[Guest]

Although it is correct that graffiti in itself is not actually menacing what it can do is create or at the very least contribute to a menacing atmosphere in a location.

 

It's often associated with rundown desolate places where because they are often deserted (hence the ability to do it) there is a perceived (or indeed actual) risk that one may come to some harm at the hands of some thug.

 

I think that is what was meant when it was described as menacing.

[smiler]

29 minutes ago, Just Heaven said:

I dont think you'd say that if your loved one was killed by a speeding motorist.

 

Probably not, but it is all relative. 

Driving at 70mph on a motorway in fog is not illegal if no speed restrictions are shown (although not advisable) 

Driving at 75mph on a deserted 3-lane motorway is illegal ie victimless crime.

Graffiti is wilful defacement and vandalism of someone else's property - that is unless the "artist" has gained permission from the property owner.

[frangar]

I consider banksy and his ilk the worst type of graffiti as it just seems to make it acceptable which it most certainly isn’t. I’d much rather admire the building or wall as it was built. So called street art has no redeeming features in my opinion. 

Edited August 12, 2020 by frangar