Council class ’sparked graffiti spree’

And so the headlines went, especially in stories following the AAP (Australian Associated Press) line, in their dutifully repeated sources around the country. You know, smaller affairs who just couldn’t afford to send a reporter, like News.com.au and the Sydney Daily Telegraph.

Editor to staff: "What’s a good angle? Cheap shot, naturally. Stick it up the council who taught these losers how to destroy property. "

In case you missed it:

Two New South Wales youths involved in a tagging vandalism spree in Melbourne’s train yards got interested in graffiti through council youth art programs, a court was told today. The vandals posed as workers for the Connex suburban rail network by wearing reflective vests as they tagged several trains.

Yep. We’re all aware of research proving 100% correlation between drinking mother’s milk and graduating to hard drugs.

This video was posted September 2006 and - if posted by SHUREfilms - tracking by IP is unlikely, as those dudes are certain to anonymise uploads.

Click image to see the video on Youtube 
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A lawyer for one of the accused [a 22-year-old from Cardiff, a 21-year-old from Hamilton, and an 18-year-old from Tamworth] told the court his client"was interested in graffiti as art and had painted murals voluntarily for his local council.

He first got into it when the council set up a legal wall where young people could go." His client, he said, was in "extraordinary shock" after having spent a night in jail.

Another said his client also had been involved in creating murals for Newcastle Council and had taken part in a program where he discouraged other young people from illegal graffiti. "In a sense, these offences are connected very much with youth … a sense of art or a sense of adventure."

The third said his client had found his night in jail "terrifying."

YouTube video traps rail vandals

News this same week, three Wollongong men were arrested after they (it seems) posted video of their alleged graffiti rampage on YouTube.

Police raided three homes in Wollongong, later charging the men for graffiti and vandalism. It is alleged they spray-painted trains and vandalised private property in Wollongong and Sydney’s south, but were traced after uploading the video. Damage bill of over $100,000 is said to include smashing windows and numerous graffiti raids, which explains the attention they received leading to arrest.

So, how were they traced from an uploaded video? From the quality of an average Youtube clip it wouldn’t seem possible. One can only assume a tip off.

Search YouTube for "train graffiti" turns up over a thousand clips. This is an international sport for kids (and others?) who, sadly, are legends simply in their own lunchtime.

Where are the rail staff?

All very well. They aren’t artists, they’re a sub-culture involving thrills and challenges - skilled painters or not. What GJMan want to know is, from viewing the video, WHERE are the station employees???

I recall as a kid half a dozen station staff on every average suburban station. This place is deserted. An unattended train at an unattended station? Why?

The NSW State Transport minister added this: "Vandalism to trains costs taxpayers $15 million a year and is a cause of lengthy train delays.

"Graffiti is not art, it’s a crime, and it’s causing a lot of damage to our … trains."

Most news services then trotted out the standard government PR summation saying how much graffiti vandalism costs each year and mentioned the new legislation making spray cans so hard to buy they might become extinct.

Dang, can’t blame the kids for this

Meanwhile, in news of far lesser importance, because it only threatens passengers safety and drives them from using public transport - but mainly as there is no easy scapegoat -

RAILCORP apologised to commuters forced to travel long distances without toilets, elderly passengers embarrassed by incontinence, or pregnant women vomiting in the isles, but warned the problem would not be fixed until midyear. No problemo - trains will stop at stations while the bursting bladders scramble for station loos.

CityRail faced criticism for overcrowding caused by a new timetable, which reduced and slowed services

Train safety came under close scrutiny after the doors of a packed Tangara opened at speed as people leaned against them

The Government announced the next steps in its plan to untangle the railway lines with two more Rail Clearways projects

In Melbourne, the graffiti news was prominent, while the big issue rated second, of course: "Their (graffitiists) efforts caused about $10,000 damage to a Connex Siemens train at the Newport rail yard. Connex has had to withdraw almost half of its 72 Siemens trains from service in recent weeks, after a series of unexplained brake failures."

One can imagine the bill for THAT, compared to cleaning some paint.

And, like, which one bothers you the most?