I fucking hate the common tagger, but I have to admit a few have some skills. It's 10:35p here and I just rode back from a beer run. I noticed some cops quietly setting up at the head of an underpass. They glared at me as I passed because they had the normal route blocked, but I soon noticed why they were there, a tagger hard at work at the bottom of the underpass.

Now like I said I hate taggers most of the time, I hate seeing their garbage on every fence and wall in sight, but I actually gave the guy a heads up and alerted him he was about to be busted.

Why the fuck did I do that?

Because you hate cops more?  I hate the majority of tagging, but I would probably do the same.  I like it when it's clever, funny, or shows some skill.  Unfortunately most of the tagging in my neighborhood is from a couple of knuckleheads with stupid tag names and they tag a lot of stuff very poorly.

I wish municipalities would support more murals.  I think murals generally discourage tagging in addition to looking nice.

I consider "tagging" as a cruder form of its compatriot "bombing." Most of the graffiti done in my city (Elgin, IL) is mainly tagging by Hispanic gangs or other losers (I despise gangstas and thugs). Every once in a while I will see train cars traveling into Chicago with huge, colorful bombs--quite a sight.

Interestingly, a year ago I was driving down a main road in town and saw a gang insignia in black paint on the back of a store's wall. Next to the insignia was an arrow with the word "morons." I'm assuming the store's owner did it.

I think legalese needs to distinguish between the different types of graffiti: urban art, stenciling, bombing, and tagging. "Urban art" being the most accepted and "tagging" being unacceptable.

I do agree with Emp, though, that murals are a way to suppress childish vandalism in a way that is acceptable to the community although some of the murals around Elgin are completely asinine and worthy of a coat of primer.

I've been walking around a lot taking pictures of cool graffiti.


was my fav recent one

Stenciling rules... I live in the capital of stenciling... some amazing stuff down here.

Ya i do some stenciling shirt wise.. sorta wanted to practice and tag.. but.. ya.. prob never will.. i'll just admire everyone else's shit.