Say it, Don’t Spray It- Margot Ferron

On first arriving in Buenos Aires, Argentina this past Christmas, I was first amazed at how impeccably clean the streets were. Later, I was blown away with the overwhelming graffiti plastered everywhere—public buildings, the subway, buses, parks, etc. Sure, there are vibrant, expressive paintings that are astonishing pieces of art, but the tagging is more than distracting to the otherwise clean streets.

I boasted on how well the City of Mission Viejo is able to stomp out our graffiti so quickly. Local law enforcement discourages tagging in what appears to be a game of cat and mouse. To destroy and vandalize someone’s property is against the law, but it seems to be almost impossible to control in many cities and countries. Maybe they just give up trying.

The Walkie Talkies have seen graffiti on the back of a few commercial buildings and the bridge overpass at the Oso Trail when we walk. So we called the graffiti hotline in Mission Viejo and reported it. The next day we noticed it was gone.

The City of Mission Viejo takes tagging seriously. To report graffiti in Mission Viejo, please call the Graffiti Hotline at (949) 460-2924 or use the Online Service Request system - Access MV.

Remember, don’t spray paint, just say it—in a text, a phone call or a card. Keep Mission Viejo beautiful!