[building babel]

Where can we go to see examples of your work?

 

[rbtaylor]

Taggers have no talent, I piss with more creativity.

Lack of talent doesn't mean they're not in the field.

Engineers who make a living designing storage sheds that fall down in a light wind are still professional engineers -- just not very good ones.

 

[building babel]

Though engineers have to obtain some sort of paper qualification before they can practice. Taggers can pose as "artists" in an unregulated field.

 

[paraone2004]

The last remaining public piece I had was painted over last summer, Now I paint on my deck and doodle in my sketch book.

I'm a broadcast designer for a TV station and work freelance at night so I don't get to paint as much as I'd like to anymore.



"Lack of talent doesn't mean they're not in the field.
Engineers who make a living designing storage sheds that fall down in a light wind are still professional engineers -- just not very good ones."

Comparing a person designs storage sheds and a person who designs skyscrapers is like comparing apples and oranges, no? I think the same rule applies to your argument.

 

[down on the upside]

Ooh. Care to name names?

Dont want to get sued but I will say he teaches contemporary English literature to 1st students. Hes actually a good prof but tends to go a bit overboard during lectures. I wouldnt be surprised if its students from his class, cause one of his lectures essentially justified graffitti in public areas, especially public transit.

 

[bizorky]

However, i find ad-wraps of ttc vehicles as ugly and bothersome as tagging them.

Alas, tagging does not make the TTC much needed money. Those bus-wraps do.

 

[spmarshall]

The TTC makes almost nothing from bus-wraps. I'd rather just have traditional advertisements (why the buses no longer have the ad inserts for exterior advertising I don't know - I'd much rather have that then anything wrapped)

 

[shawnmicallef]

If the money arguement for the wraps was enough to sway me, saying tagging gives the TTC "flavour" would get me on side of that too.

The wraps cost much, much more than they pay out.

 

[Brighter Hell]

As much as I hate bus wraps, they're done with TTC permission, tagging isn't. You don't see ad execs wrapping buses under cover of darkness and then scurrying off into the night.

 

[shawnmicallef]

They're not done with my permission though. So tagging and wraps are equal in my sensibility.

 

[fiendishlibrarian]

Agree 100%. Fiendish, would you be up for relieving those who vandalize our streetcars and buses in the name of profit with a few bullets? Taggers at least don't usually block the sightlines out of windows.

I don't like the wraps either, but at least that's done legally via the Commission. Let's not get into some moral equivalency argument between criminal vandalism, and advertising (regrettable as it may be) done through proper channels. Two different things, the former meriting the "Jack Bauer" treatment, the latter, well, at the very least, stern indignation. Having said that, I'd like to get my hands on the person(s) who *approved* such advertising...

 

[Mark Dowling]

if the TTC don't make enough from wraps they should hike their charges. Then either the demand will fall (good) or TTC revenue will increase because business are willing to pay the premium (different good).

I frequently see out of date posters on TTC ad boards - no wonder they aren't making much money!

If I was TTC chair I would consider asking Rogers and Bell how much they wanted to pay to put cellphone microcells on platforms - this would reduce the need for payphones, allow Blackberry users to get email, people could call their offices to advise of subway breakdowns but it would remain impractical to make a call from a moving train.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

MD:

I frequently see out of date posters on TTC ad boards - no wonder they aren't making much money!

Or it could be that the ad space aren't sold out - so it's better to leave the out-of-date posters on instead of taking them off and have a blank space instead.

AoD

 

[Abeja de Almirante]

If they can't sell the ad space I'd say they've got sales execution problems. There are few places in Toronto where you have millions of captive viewers with nothing to look at besides each other, the floor or your sign.

 

[Long Island Mike]

Everyone: Does Toronto today have any problem with graffiti? from my basically 80s days visiting TOR graffiti was very low or no tolerance I recall. I believe that the TTC would throw the book at the perpetrators if they are caught. LI MIKE