I appreciate the need to keep ambulances clean and presentable, but it seems to me a bit extreme to take an ambulance completely out of commission to remove a small piece of graffiti. Is that really in the public interest?

It's the reason why you don't see any commercial vehicles with grafitti on them - it's not good for the 'brand'. I mean, it's not nice to be picked up by a motor with stuff scrawled on the side.

Well, no, but I'd rather be picked up by an ambulance covered in scribbles than die waiting for one.

Leave the tagging, and rival taggers add, then there is vandalism. Official vehicles need to look well maintained and professional so that the public can know to trust them. One of those rare bits of policy based on actual research.

Speaking as one of your local residents, it is presumably possible that one day your ambulance might not be able to save my life because it's off being cleaned.

So, should I sue...
a) the tagger?
b) the bureaucrat who introduced the zero tolerance graffiti directive?

Or do I sue neither because I'm dead?

The tagger is unlikely to be caught, and while the LAS would probably roll over and nopt even challenge you in court - the actual person responsible would be the government department who thinks that we have 'enough' ambulances.

It wasn't that long ago that we had full crews sitting on station because there physically wasn't a vehicle for them to work on. Things are a bit better now, thankfully, but not by much.

The take it out of service rule applies to trains and the underground too.

I know in this situation the outcome would have been exactly the same, and I agree with you all the way - tosser - but I really wish that we could keep the proper graffiti artists and lose all the damn taggers (preferably down a deep, abandoned well)...

The argument is that 'artists' need to learn their trade and tagging is how they do that.

But try telling the mural painters in Belfast that they need to 'tag' to get their skills up - you do like having kneecaps right?

I say make 'tagging' more extreme and more exciting by mixing it up with all those (now illegal) fox hunts, for a fun urban hunt...

What, like tagger hunting?? Would beagles still be used, or are pitbulls and alsatians allowed!?

I don't get taggers. I mean you realy have to be a pathetic bunch of people to see it as anywhere near the epitome of cool. I mean half the time its done on bins with a permenent marker. I mean anyone could do it, the vast majority don't because they realise that it just makes you a tosser.

And as to tagging allowing you to practice, pft. Fair enough if you manual dexterity is such that you can't even hold a pen, but I doubt this is the case with most taggers.

I do wonder what image they have of themselves. Probably a similar image to that of 'Script Kiddies' (Who use kits or well documented exploits to vandalise websites / create viruses.) I suppose they think that the reason the public scorns them is because they (the public) are. part of 'the system.' Sadly their act of 'rebelion' is also a big sign saying 'I'm pathetic.'

i'm just sick by it all what next?
nobody gives a S##t apologies tom it winds me up. how would they like it if we tagged the homes DAZZA was ERE.

I can't wait for the time when CCTV gets to the stage when Vehicles have CCTV all round it to protect the crews & vehicles

Dazza

There are signs every couple of metres along the outside of a hospital near here that say something along the lines of "Patient care is our priority, not cleaning graffiti off our hospitals. Please do not vandalise this building".

Either the signs or the graffiti cleaners are very effective, because the buildings are always graffiti-free. I expect it's the latter, but I would like to think the vandals here have some sort of conscience...

If thy like to see the tagging on Vehicle to stay, then take a peek at the New York Subway & Bus System a few years back, when they tolerated the local 'ART' in order to keep the commuters commuting.
The Word Ambulance would then get lost in a sea of painted spray. Then ye can call it the emerging pop art delivery system.

well nice to see another will anker can hold a spraycan

We moved into a brand new state-of-the-art unit a couple of years back.
All nice and shiny for two days before some sod "tagged" the lifts and the seats outside the ward.

My bedroom windows got "tagged" a fortnight ago - reported it to the polis, who were man enough to admit they wouldnt be able to get the wee sods - who can read their writing anyway.
BUT, the polis DID organise the clean-up, Thanks lads, hope the biscuits went down well.

Study: Ambulance Brings Faster Stroke Care
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-brf-stroke-ambulances,0,5837848.story

oh sweet jeezuz no....
thats why most of the numpties call for an ambulance now, because historically the wait in A&E (ER) was so long, they were under the misconstrued idea that coming by ambulance meant their chipped nails, sore foot, hangover would be seen quicker.... now your in and out in 4 hours or admitted.

mean while the people who really have a life threatening illness have to wait

What goes around, comes around.

This young man may be fit and healthy now.
I hope his ambulance will come when he needs it.

V