Friday, September 11, 2009

Graffiti Vandalism: Then and Now

By Robert Marks

Graffiti Vandalism has been around since the dawn of man. For over 10,000 years our ancestors have been busy being "creative". The cavemen were marking up their caves, the Egyptians hard at work in their pyramids, and even the Indians were expressing themselves with whatever they had at hand.

Apparently it has been a problem in all societies all over the world throughout history.

So how's graffiti vandalism defined anyway? A person drawing, writing, painting, etching, or otherwise defacing any building, road, sign, tree, bridge, etc.

So what's the reason why graffiti damage is spreading at an ever increasing rate? Are kids just bored, or are they frustrated because they can't get jobs the way the economy is going? Of course we can make excuses why it's happening, but we can't ignore the damage these graffiti vandals are causing.

Removing graffiti is the responsibility of every property owner and manager including: residents; retailers; business park owners; utility companies; schools; school maintenance supervisors; transportation operators (trucking companies, bus companies), park departments, rest stop owners, etc.

Graffiti degrades the appearance and character of a neighborhood as soon as it appears. It creates an atmosphere of violence, and it should not be left in place, because it becomes an open invitation to other graffiti "artists" and it can begin to "spread like wildfire"

The best way to handle graffiti damage, is to act on it immediately. Get it removed asap. Don't allow yourself to put it off another day, because it will just be harder, and more expensive to remove. The materials that were used come off with less work, if it's treated right away.

Your property's value will return to normal as soon as you remove the damage, and it won't be a magnet for other crime to take place. You will discourage other would be vandals to pass your property by the next time. You will have taken away the satisfaction of the deed, and the approval of their fellow vandals.

The best way to remove graffiti is to use an aerosol or liquid graffiti removal product. There are also graffiti towels on the market that are convenient, safe and very effective. It is unnecessary to use dangerous chemicals to remove graffiti when there are some products on the market today that are non toxic and biodegradable.

About the Author:

No comments: