What is it with taggers?

I've just read a local newspaper report about a spate of tagging around our way.

Luckily, I don't have a wall or fence for these little blighters to make their mark on, and neither do many of the neighbours, so our street is relatively tag-free.

However, to my mind, there's nothing worse than driving along what used to be a pretty street with well-tended gardens, and then seeing a host of tagging. It has that instance impact of creating a slum effect. Tell you what, if I personally catch a little bugger (sometimes they're not so little, I'm told), I'll be hard-pressed to find the time to ring 111 or the local tagging hotline ... the little toad might be facing more serious consequences than the law if I get my hands on him!

I had to chuckle at the newspaper entry though ... to quote:

"We are formulating an attack to see if we can identify these people."
..... well, gee, that's great news. Surely their "tag" is enough to identify them!

"If they ee people tagging dial 111. We're not too busy and we treat tagging seriously. It's a crime."
... no shit, Sherlock - of course it's a crime ... it's called WILFUL DAMAGE. But as for ringing 111, I think I might give that a miss ... considering that you can ring that number and get sent a taxi instead in Auckland!

But hey, it's your call whether you ring 111 or take the law into your own hands and nail the blighter when you catch him red-handed. If you're in New Zealand, the tagging hotline for reporting offenders is 0800 STOP TAG.

Oh, and just so you know, your rates DO go towards something, after all ... apparently it's not all boozey lunches in council chambers .... if your property has been tagged, Auckland City Council offers free paint jobs to cover tags. Just ring 09-3792020. Whether they match your $150 a tin, hand-picked Resene colour is another story entirely!