England - London - Young graffiti tagger on underground train

A London youth is busy tagging on windows of a 90s London underground tube train, during an overland section of the capital’s rail system near Ladbroke Grove. Armed with heavy-duty semi-permanent marker pens, the lad is committing the crime of defacement and criminal damage to London Underground property, a persistent problem that costs the transport company network up to £3 million a year to remove. Partitions and glass are being scribbled on with their unique identity signatures used by kids of this age to leave as a mark of their presence, like animals instinctively leave a scent on a street corner. If caught, juvenile delinquents like these may escape with only a caution because of their age but older ones are prosecuted, though some times after leaving many thousands of tags across their neighbourhood.

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Filename: graffiti_tagging01-08-11-1989_1.jpg
Copyright: Richard Baker
Image Size: 5386x3511 / 1.5MB; urban city capital GB Europe EU crime criminal damage deface expression felony graffiti illegal sinister subversive tagging underground unidentified unseen vandalism young youth tube train overground writing costs youthful boyhood trouble responsible delinquent kids lads boys tag signature defacing criminals under-age prosecution education partnership partners markers permanent network juvenile mark signing neighborhood neighbourhood transportation transport 1980s 80s UK British Britain English England london & an a at of for with and in or
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A London youth is busy tagging on windows of a 90s London underground tube train, during an overland section of the capital’s rail system near Ladbroke Grove. Armed with heavy-duty semi-permanent marker pens, the lad is committing the crime of defacement and criminal damage to London Underground property, a persistent problem that costs the transport company network up to £3 million a year to remove. Partitions and glass are being scribbled on with their unique identity signatures used by kids of this age to leave as a mark of their presence, like animals instinctively leave a scent on a street corner. If caught, juvenile delinquents like these may escape with only a caution because of their age but older ones are prosecuted, though some times after leaving many thousands of tags across their neighbourhood.