Example of vandalism at national parks
Park vandalism is an ugly problem and is highlighted this week by one person on a 10-park graffiti-spree ruining portions of national parks and then posting her work on social media. Consider installing metal picnic tables and metal benches are some of the solutions officials could use to deter vandalism, including more vigilant reporting and awareness by park users as happened in this case.
The National Park Service issued a report saying it is investigating incidents of vandalism in several western parks by a woman, who in a moronic display of selfishness, is painting images on park property. Not with chalk, which can be easily removed, but acrylic paint.
Parks affected reportedly include Yosemite National Park, California; Death Valley National Park, California; Crater Lake National Park, Oregon; Zion National Park and Canyonlands National Park, both in Utah. Investigators are also awaiting confirmation in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona; Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park and Joshua Tree National Park, both in California; Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado; Bryce National Park, Utah.
What is this woman thinking? Apparently, she is not thinking at all.
She goes under the handle "creepytings" which is highly appropriate because she is doing creepy, despicable things to our national parks. It's almost as if she is walking into our homes and drawing on our walls, to her own self-aggrandizement without any regard for anyone else.
In the era of the "selfie", this so-called artist apparently thinks her drawings are cool. Something she thinks would be cute to show her friends and share with the world on Instagram and Tumblr.
Instead, the reaction on social media for the most part is one of disgust.
Casey Shreiner, of modernhiker.com who first reported the abomination, said "You're seeing this emotional response of people who feel like they've been kicked in the gut."
This brings up a bigger issue. People who vandalize parks in general. Not just our precious huge national parks but state parks and even parks down the street.
The irony here is incredible. People frequent these parks to get out of the house and enjoy Mother Nature. Parks officials on tight budgets work hard to provide the public with spaces that retain a "natural" appearance as much as possible yet provide a clean, untarnished and safe environment to visit.
Then you have a few people who go to these parks and think they can draw on the picnic tables, carve their names in the park benches and litter all over the place.
Metal Picnic Tables resist graffiti
The Park Catalog does have a solution for this. It's in the form of commercial-grade, thermoplastic metal picnic tables and metal park benches.
Metal picnic tables with a thermoplastic coating can withstand vandals and repel spray paint
The thermoplastic serves as a sort of repellent shield. When vandals draw or spray paint the metal picnic tables or metal benches, the paint has a hard time adhering to the smooth, almost rubber-like plastic. The paint can easily be removed with soap and water or in some cases turpentine or a stronger industrial cleaner.
For those who think it is neat to carve their names into a park picnic table or bench and deface outside furnishings enjoyed by the entire community, the thermoplastic can be a deterrent as well. Heating a vandalized portion of a thermoplastic-coated metal picnic table, for example, will repair the cuts.
If this woman had even an iota of sensibility, she might have decided instead to draw her little pieces of art on these outdoor metal picnic tables or metal benches, which can then be easily cleaned after she made her so-called "artistic statement." She obviously is picking the wrong medium for her work. And no, she is not a "Banksy" as she reportedly claims. Banksy would not damage national public parks.
Some of her current artwork is also in areas that are not easy to reach. For example, one of her drawings is at Crater Lake in Oregon at 9,000 feet. Park officials report that inclement weather is keeping them from hiking up there to remove it.
She is committing a criminal act. While it is a misdemeanor, the fine could be for up to $5,000 and better yet, she could be sentenced to a year in prison. There is a petition circulating to literally throw the judicial book at her.
Hopefully they catch this woman and she receives a severe penalty. She is a high-profile vandal and her conviction and jail time would send a high-profile message to other like-minded people to keep their dirty paintbrushes off of our parks. That includes national, state and local parks.
If you see instances of vandalism at any park, tell the park officials. Park managers might want to consider adding thermoplastic metal picnic tables and metal benches to their on-site furnishings to prevent graffiti vandals.
Note: If you need metal picnic tables and metal benches quickly, with our Quick Ship ParkExpress program we can ship many of these products in 1-3 days. There is a limit on quantity and colors for these metal picnic tables, but give us a call and we can see what is in stock.