Things Not To Do In A Budget Crisis: 1.Graffiti Your Local Library

A backwards e? What is this, Toys R Us???

I was walking to the F Train this morning when I noticed the graffiti in the above photo. It was carelessly spray-painted on the 23rd Avenue side of the Ryder Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library.

I also spotted the same wannabe gangster scribbles on a nearby sidewalk in front of a private home on 23rd Avenue.

As someone who grew up on the streets of Brooklyn, I noticed something right away about this- Whoever wrote it was either very young or just not very skillful with letters.

It probably was some clueless little tweeny-bopper because of the simple fact that it would require a modicum of maturity to understand that your local library is not the place to deface, especially in the midst of massive budget cuts.

An older, wiser vandal would also know that writing on or near someone’s house is a big no-no.

As bad as tagging a private house is, I just can’t get past the idea of defacing a library. The only place that lets you borrow books (including books on graffiti), rent DVD’s for free and you tag up the building?! In the middle of a budget crisis!? Really?!

I hope whoever did this realizes that the money to clean it, if the library does, has to come from somewhere. This fake tagging crew of toys shouldn’t be surprised the next time one of them goes to rent Dinner For Schmucks and can’t because funds had to be allocated to clean the side of the building. Idiots.

Update (11:10 am): A library employee who declined to give her name told the Bean by phone that the graffiti would be cleaned by the library’s custodian. She was unable to give a time estimate.