Graffitti!!!!

Is anyone else concerned about the grafitti which seems to be popping up all over our beautiful community?

So far, I have noticed it on the slides at the play park by the pool on Village Drive/Claiborne and over the drainage pipe on the back of the parking lot of the shopping center (Broadlands South).

This morning, we had to endure the most obnoxious of explicatives (which is now brightly painted on the bike path) whilst taking my young children for what should have been a lovely walk to the Harris Teeter. In addition to this juvenile form of communication, someone painted "Bloods" on another part of the path and something is scawled in red paint on the wooden foot bridge itself.

This is such a great place to live. It is a crying shame that not everyone appreciates what we have. :sadcry:

 

Hi mom2myjays,
there are several people that are anywhere from upset to outraged about the graffiti, myself one of them. I've even attracted the "attention" of one of the taggers here on the forums. The graffiti is always worse when school is out, which as you might know, just happened last week. As much as it hurts the community, we'll probably be seeing more of it. Will take a proactive group of concerned residents to keep tabs on it, report it, and get it cleaned up immediately.

I've seen some of the graffiti you're talking about (I didn't see the graffiti on the retaining wall by Harris Teeter, but that's a very popular canvas; but I did see something on the pick-up baggie dispenser at the end of the trail by Callalloo) and will contact the people I know who actively handle these issues. If those said people are watching this thread, the graffiti is all in the same place it was last time I contacted you about it, behind Windy Oaks Sq. on the trail thru the woods to Broadlands Marketplace (by the SW townhomes).

I spoke to a few kids who were riding by on their bikes, who said they hadn't seen the graffiti before today. They also told me they saw graffiti in the tunnel under Claiborne Pkwy from Village Dr. to the Nature Center -- I didn't see it myself, though.

Here's the other thread about this topic, it's an interesting read.
http://www.broadlandshoa.org/hoaforum/showthread.php?t=7182

- A

 

Please contact the HOA office with specific locations, please.

 

Do you know where your children are????????

I know in my neighborhood they at times like to play in the little woods next to my home and it is amazing what they try to get away with from setting little camp fires to chopping down bushes or small trees with an ax. And these were little ones 8 to 10 years old. Then you try to be nice and tell the parents and the parents go into denial. I had it stopped for a year and now it is starting with the new generation, Must of been taught by there older brother and sisters. But I decided to stop it immediately this time and told these parents I am not here to baby sit there little kids.

They also used to like to hide under my porch and god help me if one got hurt I am sure some of these parents would be first to sue. Seems like too many kids and not enough parents to watch them anymore. ha ha ha ha Anyway From my library and porches I see everything on this corner and it is amazing what these little people will try to get away with when they think they are not being watched. Perhaps these are the future Graffitti!!!! artist. ha ha ha

And actually some of these Graffitti artist can make a lot of money in the art world if they straighten themselves out, but they must learn to practice somewhere

 

I've seen the graffiti on the bike path.

2 observations from that.

1.The person that wrote the "cuss word" has really nice hand-writing. Very feminine with lots of rounded edges, I was expecting to see a heart at the end of it or over some word.

2.Whoever wrote 'bloods' is not very smart. Red is the color used by the bloods and blue by the crips. Since they are bitter enemies, no one from the real 'bloods' would use blue on anything, let alone a public tag.

 

Re: Graffitti!!!! *update*

I just followed up with the HOA office as instructed. The gentleman who took my call informed me that they have seen it and are in the process of getting it removed.

As a side note: Our young family has lived in 2 neighborhoods with active, responsive, and determined HOA's. We also lived in 1 neighborhood run by a "voluntary" HOA. The incident with the graffiti is another reminder to us that as long as there is a choice, we will choose the active, persistent HOA community anyday!

Thanks to all of you who work to make our community terrific! And thanks for the help for others who responded.

 

a neighbor of mine saw graffiti on the trails with everything from racial epithets to just curse words for the sake of writing curse words. i don't know the exact locaton but i'll be sure to ask to her to f/u with the HOA if it is still there...

it's a shame, but if that's our biggest problem, i'm glad that's it's at least one we can address. catching the little buggers in action is great, but at minumum, getting rid of it quickly will keep our community looking good.

 

The more people that walk that trail, the less likely someone is to tag it.

 

Someone drew male body parts all over the trail at the top of Truro Parish right before you turn onto Glebe View Dr (in sidewalk chalk). It was definitely a girl who did the 'artwork.'

 

how do you know it wasn't umm- a balloon art interpretation of an elephant??

 

Well, the title under the two arc'd body parts (sort of forming a rainbow-like figure) said 'Welcome to ****s Land. It sort of gave it away.

 

What would possess a girl to do something like that? I hope she is OK. Or I hope she is going to get some help, since it sounds like she's acting out about something. Not that it would be any less of a problem if a boy were doing this vandalism...I suppose either way the kid needs some attention.

 

Most likely like the last time these kids are reading these forums and and you all are encouraging them just like the last time. Perhaps they have gotten smart enough not to respond here because the two supermen internet police here will track them down and.............

 

doubt that. you don't get the idea to become a vandal from an HOA forum- it's already in you to be a knucklehead.

 

Graffiti is on the foot bridge behind Glorydays,American Flatbread and the like.

 

Yes but it gives them instant gratification when they can read that their acts are driving people crazy and upset. Like the sniper shooters would go out and kill then go to a motel or bar and watch what havoc and misery they created and got some kind of sick enjoyment out of it. Another reason police hold back info from the press.

 

as long as we don't discuss our solutions and just let them be on notice that we know about them, it could be a deterrent.so far no one is ranting and raving about it- it's simply pointing out that we KNOW where they are which IS good.

but i agree that getting emotional and getting in flame wars is gratifying to them- having their hiding places publicized is not.

 

on a side note- it might be WISER to rpt other hot spots privately to the neighborhood watch instead of continuing in public here...

lee- you made a GOOOD point!!!!

 

I also noticed curse words written in the cement near the sidewalk of Caliloo coming off of the trail. I had not taken the trail in many months so I am not sure how long it has been there.

 

I was thinking of what a solution would be for these kids, rather than just complaining about it. I teach art lessons in Broadlands, and would love to channel some of these kids' creativity into works of art (even graffiti art on canvas). If anyone knows who these kids are or knows of kids who need something to do to express themselves, PM me. I think it would be a great way to give them something fun and constructive to do. Just trying to offer some creative solutions to cure the boredom that we all know existed even when we were kids.