The new face of vandalism?

[PeaceNikki]

A 6-year-old Park Slope girl is facing a $300 fine from the city for doing what city kids have been doing for decades: drawing a pretty picture with common sidewalk chalk.

Obviously not all of Natalie Shea’s 10th Street neighbors thought her blue chalk splotch was her best work — a neighbor called 311 to report the “graffiti,” and the Department of Sanitation quickly sent a standard letter to Natalie’s mom, Jen Pepperman.

Can somebody stop these bureaucrats before they Kafka again?

“PLEASE REMOVE THE GRAFFITI FROM YOUR PROPERTY,” the Sanitation Department warning letter read. “FAILURE TO COMPLY … MAY RESULT IN ENFORCEMENT ACTION AGAINST YOU.”

More here: http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/30/40/30_40graffitigirl.html

Sidewalk chalk?!?!? What kind of society are we living in where a neighbor feels more comfortable alerting "authorities" than speaking with their neighbor... and what kind of "authorities" take this shit seriously?

<<sigh>>

[ixion]

1. very sad...

I have some good memories of my neighborhood as a kid. The experiences I had back then (in the 60's and 70's) are not possible to have today, at least not without risking legal action by the State. :eyes:

[China_cat]

4. And they have a nerve to wonder why our kids are fat

and out of shape. Who dares let them out to run and play when you could get a ticket for it? Shit...$300 for a hopscotch site? (I know, hers was a drawing but same type of thing) What would they charge you for letting your kids play kick the can with a real can?

[ixion]

6. or playing neighborhood-wide games of hide-and-go-seek

where you're running through everyone's backyard. I'm sure the SWAT team would be called out.

[DCKit]

16. "What would they charge you for letting your kids play kick the can with a real can?"

Terrorism.

[mcscajun]

2. Sounds like a petty neighbor dispute behind the scenes.

"I don't like her. She _______________________ me. I'll fix her. I'll wait until she (or her daughter) does something I can report."

Not to mention the NYC graffiti law cited mentions specifically "...with intent to damage." Like a little girl can form such intent, or that chalk marking concrete constitutes "damage".

[fasttense]

3. You may want to add pictures of middle class families.

Seems more and more reports lately of criminals stealing food. Makes you wonder if this is America.

[Vinca]

5. I guess this means no more hopscotch, either.

And who wants to bet these little felons will be out pandhandling for UNICEF on Halloween? Off with their heads!

[Greyhound]

8. I actually logged in just to post this.

When hopscotch is outlawed, only outlaws will play hopscotch.

I hate us.

[Karenina]

9. ...

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

7. My first activist arrest

Was back in the mid-80s. I was associated with a group called Performers and Artists for Nuclear Disarmament. On or around the 40th anniversary of Hiroshima, PAND teams descended on cities and towns where we *chalked* body outlines as a commemoration of those who died in the Hiroshima and Nagasaki blasts (a distinctive and horrific effect from these blast zones is that while many people were vaporized, often their shadows--just at the moment of destruction--remained on sidewalks and buildings).

Though we kept our chalking to public rights of way, the police still came down on us. They weren't abusive, just dismissive, and they didn't care whether we were using chalk paint or sulfuric acid. "If it's going to be around until the next rainstorm, it's graffiti." Spent my first night in jail and got my first malicious mischief count.

The following year I returned to town from college to see that some other enterprising activists had filled my shoes, only they had made shadow figures with white spray paint. I haven't been back there, but Mom tells me they are still there in a couple of spots.

[PeaceNikki]

10. Wow. That must have been powerful!

Thanks for sharing!

[Quantess]

11. Priorities are seriously screwed up.

I'm irritated that government officials would waste their time on this.

[Buns_of_Fire]

12. Nip it! Nip it in the bud right now!

Everyone knows that sidewalk chalk is just an entree to more serious forms of expression! Sure, it's just chalk NOW, but what happens when she starts on the "harder stuff" -- like pencils and Crayolas?

[JNelson6563]

14. haha Chalk, the gateway drug of budding vandals

:toast:

[mikeytherat]

15. Or Barney will take you down!

mikey_the_rat

[mikeytherat]

13. After we bought our current home, I found a big bag of sidewalk chalk

in a pantry. I took it outside, found some of the neighborhood kids playing, and gave it to them. They had a ball writing and drawing - hopscotch squares, artwork, messages, you name it. The following morning, I came out to find a beautiful, multi-colored "Thank You" written across my driveway. It was very cool.

mikey_the_rat

[sufrommich]

17. Seriously, is there anything more gleeful than taking

a walk through the neighborhood admiring the sidewalk chark art of the kids on the block? What's wrong with people?

[Clark2008]

25. Apparently, you haven't read the anti-child posts on this very board.

There's A LOT wrong with people who think children should not only be not heard, but not seen, as well.

Hell, they bitch because a 2-year-old says "hello" a lot on a plane. :eyes:

[China_cat]

27. I don't like kids until they're housebroken and intelligent.

Starting at about age 13 or 14. (Actually, what I don't like is the parents who seem to think that everyone should worship their kids like they do and put their lives on hold to accomodate their spawn.)

But that's just...Republican. Have the people charging this kid seen any of the ads on tv for Crayola's sidewalk chalk and different drawing tools? They look like fun.

[seabeyond]

18. no tp'ing, no doorbell ditch... BUT chalking, i allow. ONLY if it is NICE

we are having this discussion with the parents of late in my kids peer group. i am saying kids today are not allowed to do anything, so what i have done is allowed chalking in the neighborhood. a group of boys, (nice boys, polite, kind, respectful, well behaved 12ish boys). so many things restrict the kids today, since of course all us adults have decided children are OUT OF CONTROL and we must at all cost reign them in seeing how they inter fer or interact with our adult space. and if the kid dare to interact with an adult, the kid is out of control

so... i have allowed chalking

my boys go to the houses where they know someone. they are kind and nice and only put positive chalking on the walks. the kids that spend the night learn to go out they can only do nice. they do peace signs and other positive democratic or spiritual messages. or just cute creative like step 1, 2, 3 on a step or whatever. or cutsie pictures

now, i had a mom the other day tell me how she told boys spending night they could NOT chalk. how rude and inconsiderate it was

then i am in a quandary.

since i have had a couple other parents allow it

all the people i know who have been chalked feel positive and good. it is like an honor for a kid to get driveway chalked. it is not meant as disrespectful

we really need to lighten up

and i have all the faith in the world we will NOT lighten up.

[Squatch]

19. Please remove the graffiti from YOUR property.

How about you go fuck yourself, San Dept.

[whoneedstickets]

24. HAHA, first thing I thought too! Go F#@% yourself!

LOL

[Toots]

20. She resembles a terrorist to me

I think she should be subjected to the "treatment" America is so famous for..Her work is obviously a secret code and we need that information, after all we are "the home of the brave" and she looks just like those Iraqi terrorist we have been killing.

[rockymountaindem]

21. It's taser time!

Otherwise she'll get the message that sidewalk chalk *isn't* an existential menace to everything we hold sacred in this country.

[alcibiades_mystery]

22. Oh well

Friggin' real estate hawkin' neighborhood expanders.

;-)

Brooklyn, son.

[flvegan]

23. "...with intent to damage..." per the definition by law

Good luck proving that one.

Gallagher believes that, despite local law 111, drawing in chalk is not illegal. But a call to the NYPD revealed that there’s a lot of gray area.

“According the New York penal law, graffiti is the etching, painting, covering, drawing or otherwise placing of a mark upon public or private property with intent to damage such property,” said an NYPD spokesman.

When pressed to define “intent” or, for that matter, “damage,” the spokesman added: “If it can be washed away, it’s not graffiti, clearly, but it still could be criminal mischief. If I cover your car with mustard, that’s not graffiti, but it’s also not legal.”

[Le Taz Hot]

26. Oh, good grief!

I have 3 little girls living next door to me and I LOVE their sidewalk artwork. Genuine graffiti with paint on other people's property placed there by punks? Not so much.

[proud2BlibKansan]

28. LOL We do this all the time

At the recruiting station, we write the names of the soldiers killed that week in Iraq on the sidewlak in front of the door. We use sidewalk chalk. Not only has no one ever said anything about it or tried to hold us accountable, the names are left alone and the people going in and out of the recruiting office don't even step on them.

BTW, the chalk is not a permanent mark. Do these enforcers in the article even know that?

[redqueen]

29. *sigh*

:wtf:

[tabasco]

30. What's that she's drawin' on the sidewalk?!?

Looks like a bomb!!! FOX NEWS ALERT!

SHIP HER OFF TO GITMO!!!!!!!!!!!!!