![catsortabigger.jpg](https://westseattleblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/catsortabigger.jpg)
![bridgecat.jpg](https://westseattleblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/bridgecat.jpg)
We had a spirited discussion here a month ago when that cat (above left) turned up on a utility structure along Admiral Way, along the lines of “is graffiti EVER a good thing?” John pointed out the cat’s been painted over but its sibling under the Schmitz Park bridge was still there this weekend (above right). As of our drive-by an hour or so ago, the cat paintover already has been painted over by some entirely non-ornate white tagging. All this coincides with a note we received from Mark, who thinks it’s high time for a reminder about what to do when graffiti hits. Here’s what he writes:
Now that warm weather is returning, so is graffiti already. The Key Bank building right there at Alaska and California, the heart of the Junction, is a perfect example. Also, nearby 1st Ave. has become a prime target — I drive it daily and it’s getting worse every day there. The nature of the graffiti “culture” is that graffiti attracts more graffiti. It’s not just a hobby with these kids — it’s a lifestyle that’s a big part of their identities as they “stay up” to acquire “fame” within the graf scene. I know some kids (teens to twentysomethings) who live in West Seattle and are big into the Seattle graf scene. If they see their home turf as welcoming, they will keep on tagging it up like dogs marking their territory.
Anyway, Seattle city government has a Graffiti Prevention & Removal website (click here). You can report graffiti there, and there are tips for removing and preventing it. My experience has been that the city crews do respond to this input pretty quickly.
I’d hate to see our beautiful Junction and Alki areas — and the rest of West Seattle — be seen as even more of a ripe “canvas” for these spray can punks.
(Photo credits: Admiral cat, from last month, courtesy of Jerry at JetCityOrange; bridge cat, from this weekend, sent by John.)
| 20 COMMENTS