# Why no graffiti on the NYC subway? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 26, 2006, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-graffiti-on-the-nyc-subway/374184 "2006-09-26T07:09:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2006, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-graffiti-on-the-nyc-subway/374184/1 "2006-09-26T07:09:31Z")
In old videos and photos of New York City I always notice how the subway cars are covered with graffiti. However, pictures and videos taken more recently show little or no graffiti on subway cars. How did the NYC transit company manage to stop the graffiti? Did they do something to the cars that made them spray-paint–resistant, or did they just step up security? And how did the cars get spray-painted in the first place—were the vandals doing it in the subway stations in full view of the public, or were they doing it when the cars were off-duty and parked outside somewhere? ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2006, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-graffiti-on-the-nyc-subway/374184/2 "2006-09-26T08:26:28Z")
> [@](#): > > Did they do something to the cars that made them spray-paint–resistant, or did they just step up security? A little of both, plus immediate scrubbing off of any graffiti that _was_ affixed to the spraypaint-resistant new finish before the train could go out for another run, until folks just stopped trying. Then they discovered they could scratch up the plexiglass windows and the TA couldn’t afford to swap out the windows every time, so that’s what the little infidels do now. ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2006, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-graffiti-on-the-nyc-subway/374184/3 "2006-09-26T08:47:36Z")
At least it is better than it was and doesn’t smell like pee pee. NYC rulez. And this is from an Angeleno who could never leave SoCal. We hit Zuma Beach on Sunday and it was paradise! I got some waves, vegged, made sandcastles with the ankle biters, ate sammiches. Perfect day. As for the graffiti? The kids are growing up. Or being thrown in jail. /knows some famous taggers //does not approve ///you will be hearing from them soon ////or your kids will /////on a rap track ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2006, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-graffiti-on-the-nyc-subway/374184/4 "2006-09-26T11:43:49Z")
[QUOTE=AHunter3] A little of both, plus immediate scrubbing off of any graffiti that _was_ affixed to the spraypaint-resistant new finish before the train could go out for another run, until folks just stopped trying. Then they discovered they could scratch up the plexiglass windows and the TA couldn’t afford to swap out the windows every time, so that’s what the little infidels do now. [/QUOTE] Right. The more elaborate “mural”-type graf were done while the cars were parked at the yards. Some stepped up dilligence can go a long way. Ad the latest and disturbing trend from the heathens is the use of _etching acid_ to do their thang – which is bad enough, but then often they do not take the care to wash it off when finished so it gets on other stuff and persons. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2006, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-graffiti-on-the-nyc-subway/374184/5 "2006-09-26T16:16:41Z")
All the cars currently running are made from stainless steel, which resists graffiti well. But the main reason is increased vigilence and security. When cars do get spray-painted, they’re washed immediately, which reduces the desire for the little cretins to do it in the first place. Not much they can do about fuckers scratching the windows, though. ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2006, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-graffiti-on-the-nyc-subway/374184/6 "2006-09-26T16:50:47Z")
[QUOTE=Happy Wanderer] At least it is better than it was and doesn’t smell like pee pee. [/QUOTE] Apparently you haven’t been to the Chambers St. A-C-E lately. 😉 Re: graffiti… It’s definitely not acceptable and a horrible form of vandalism, but man, sometimes I can’t help being impressed by what people can do with a can of spray paint in spite of myself. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2006, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-graffiti-on-the-nyc-subway/374184/7 "2006-09-26T22:46:44Z")
[QUOTE=DooWahDiddy] Re: graffiti… It’s definitely not acceptable and a horrible form of vandalism, but man, sometimes I can’t help being impressed by what people can do with a can of spray paint in spite of myself. [/QUOTE] Oh man, if that isn’t ever the truth! I’ve never lived somewhere it’s been much of a problem, so I’m only left to empathize by what I can pull from my own imagination. Meaning it’s really hard to understand sometimes when the occasional piece is so beautiful to behold. Taggers, however, and their weak shit, suck eggs. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-graffiti-on-the-nyc-subway/374184/8 "2006-09-27T02:02:50Z")
The best spray-paint murals are usually commissioned from known artists, who may have started out as tagging jerks and in some cases may still be. I hesitate to call the legitimate artwork “grafitti” since they get permission.