GRAFFITI ... or VANDALISM??

I really need to vent my anger somewhere this afternoon and you guys have drawn the short straw!

A couple of times a week I walk the dog along a lovely stretch of canal nearby, we’ve been doing the same route for years.
Today, every single one of the old historical canal bridges was covered in graffiti.
I’m not an old grinch, the council has provided places for such activity and I genuinely enjoy looking at the creations.

I’m a really positive person but this has genuinely left me feeling pretty low today, especially with everything that is going on at present.
What on earth goes on in these peoples heads?

A sign of the times I guess, youngsters having nowhere to go and limited things to vent their energy on. We have a brand new footbridge over an extended railway goods line near where I live. 
When I walked over it a week ago I noticed it was plastered with rude graffiti, not Banksy grade artwork by any stretch of the imagination...
Al.

The motivation does mystify me, I admit. I can recall in the late 80's when I used to commute into London Bridge - one night someone sprayed their "tag" on every part of the side of the track, almost all the way up into the city. Mile upon mile of the same thing, sprayed over and over again on walls, bridge sides, signals, everything - hundreds of copies of the same meaningless shape. It must have taken one person the whole night and probably cost them a lot of money in spray cans, but why? For what purpose?

Unfortunately, if your local council is anything like mine, it will take them ~months~ to respond when you report it - my last report dates from March this year, and it's still there. I've taken to going and using a bottle of cellulose thinners in the centre of town, to take out the worst cases. Luckily we don't get a huge amount of it, but it's something we shouldn't have to live with...

Not a criticism of the OP but I think the first mistake is referring to this stuff as graffiti, it's out and out vandalism. It has the capacity to bring areas down by diminishing any sense of civic pride locals may have. I share the feelings of others about these abominations.

Completely agree Tony, heading updated.

Agree with all of the above, when living in Glasgow years ago the gangs used to spray Tongs yer bass, remember the Glens Tony.
I've said it before on other posts, bring back the stocks.
Boaby

Unless parents have instilled values into kids at an early age there's no hope. Many have no respect whatsoever for authority, teachers are powerless to stop kids walking out of classrooms if they're asked to do something they don't feel like doing. My son tells me some of the kids at his children's school even swear at the teachers, and we're talking 9 year olds here..
Al.

I am not sure about this one. The other side of the van was quite normal.

Better than any anti-theft device!!

That's what crossed my mind when we parked alongside this one last year.

Always likes the idea of a wrap over the motorhome