Uhhh ... I don't think that the abandonment of the NY subways was *directly* related to graffiti ... unless you really think that the vast majority of New Yorkers are so 'aesthetically sensitive' ... perhaps the perception of violent crime being rampant in the underground had more to do with it ... michael maranda Thanks, Michael. But I suspect you don't live in NYC. I do, and I ride the subways daily -- and have never even witnessed any subway crime. I know there's a problem, but I suspect there's more joking about it on talk shows and depictions of it in action movies than real crime. This subway rider suspects that the graffiti, which I've seen too much of, is the culprit, rather than the "violent crime" of which I've only heard. Thanks for your note! Jay Fahey