Absurd Society

I would like to share with you a letter I received from the Department of Public Works a week or so ago. I want to make clear that I did not alter or enhance any part of this letter. This should make everyone think about the grid laid down underfoot that we traverse daily and to which we pay no mind. Every now and again the grid exposes itself, and on each occasion - it has been my joy to note - the circumstance is absurd. I use absurd here in the Latin sense of "out of tune."

I quote:

11/13/2006

RESIDENT
2556 LYNDALE AVE S
MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55405

Service Location: 2556 LYNDALE AVE S

Dear RESIDENT:

On 11/9/2006 we received a report of graffiti at the above address. The graffiti was verified and photographed on 11/1/2006. Graffiti is serious because it is unsighty [sic] and can result in the deterioration of property values. Unless graffiti is quickly removed, surrounding properties soon become targets of graffiti. In addition, some graffiti is used to mark the territory of gangs and can attract criminal behavior. It is the City's [notice the capital C] policy to minimize and to quickly abate graffiti to limit its negative effects on residents and neighborhoods.

To allow graffiti to remain on your property is a violation of Minneapolis Code of Ordinances, chapter 226.40, which states in part..."The owner or occupant shall have 10 days...to remove, paint over or otherwise effectively abate the graffiti..."

Please understand that no matter how the graffiti got there, it must be removed. If you do not remove the graffiti before 11/23/2006, the City [!] crews will remove or paint over the graffiti and you will be billed for the cost, in accordance with City Ordinance.

The charge to graffiti would be $245 per hour plus any applicable charges.

If you have any questions or you are unable to remove/cover the graffiti by 11/23/2006, please contact the Clean City Coordinator at 612-673-2789.

Sincerely

Susan A. Young, Director
Solid Waste and Recycling

I would like to draw attention to the following:
1. "City" has been made into an autonomous agent with the capitalization of its name.
2. There is apparently a position within the municipal system of Minneapolis titled "Clean City Coordinator"
3. This is the perfect example of the city of Minneapolis attempting to deal with the outrageous amount of crime in this area, but all they are really doing is attacking the signs left by the people they seek to put down.
4. Less than .25 miles away is an art center called Intermedia Arts that prides itself on the graffiti that covers its exterior walls painted by local artists. What is the difference between the graffiti on my building on the art center? I submit that the only difference of value is that the graffiti on my building was created in anger, while the graffiti on Intermedia Arts was put there in daylight and under enjoyable circumstances.