At 06:56 PM 12/4/96 GMT, Michael Miranda wrote:


>Uhhh ... I don't think that the abandonment of the NY subways was *directly*
>related to graffiti ...
> ... perhaps the perception of
>violent crime being rampant in the underground had more to do with it ...
>

Well, at least here in Chicago, graffiti is associated with gangs, and gangs
are associated with violent crime, and thus a graffiti-plagued area is
perceived as dangerous.  At the very least, it is seen as not
well-maintained, physically decrepit and unoccupied -- which carry their own
dangers.

These perceptions may not necessarily reflect reality, but they are
pervasive all the same.

Eugene W. Dillenburg
Coordinator, Special Projects
Exhibits Department
The Field Museum of Natural History
Chicago, Illinois  60605-2496
V: (312) 922-9410 x636
F: (312) 922-6973
E: [log in to unmask]

"Never pay more than minimum wage for a shirt."

                                -- Bruce Elliott