When we are out in the car going somewhere and he sees graffiti, he stops and covers it up or removes it, no matter what neighborhood we are in.

If every person who sees graffiti would cover it up with spray paint or remove it with graffiti removal, we can beat these hoodlums. Even a simple call to the city's anti-graffiti hot line to report the crime gets it removed. They have been driving around and covering it up.

It takes unity to fight these types of crimes. Stand up for your neighborhood and fight back by covering graffiti up or removing it yourself. They will eventually get the message and stop. Their supposedly called "artwork" will be destroyed.

Barbara A. Colfer

Rhawnhurst

. . . And the city can lend a helping hand

I applaud the efforts of community organizations and civic activists in their fight against graffiti vandalism. The city of Philadelphia's Anti-Graffiti Network has been waging war aggressively against graffiti vandalism for over a decade and we thank those that volunteer their time to help clean it up.

As you know, graffiti is everyone's problem and everyone needs to work together to combat this senseless crime. The Anti-Graffiti Network will provide free graffiti-removal services for private as well as public properties; a simple phone call can get results. If you wish to speak to a live operator, contact 311. You can also call 215-686-0000, our hotline, and leave a message to have graffiti cleaned up. Be as specific as possible with the location of the graffiti vandalism (front, side, rear of property, etc.). You may also visit our Web site at www.phila.gov/qualityoflife to report graffiti vandalism online.

The city also provides free graffiti-removal products to community organizations, businesses and civic activists to help defray the cost of graffiti removal through our Anti-Graffiti Paint & Supply Voucher Program.

No matter how you contact us, we are more than willing to join forces with you to eradicate this blight from our communities.

Only by working together, will we make a difference in our neighborhoods.

Thomas Conway

Deputy Managing Director

Neighborhood Services Division

City of Philadelphia

What's all the fuss about parking spots?

Regarding Theresa Ulmer's letter in the June 25 edition (Won't you be my good neighbor, Part 1): Oh Theresa, I could totally commiserate with your letter. Isn't it amazing how possessive people can be with the spots in front of their homes?

I've got two doozies on my street. The neighbors to my left flat out said, "My house, my spot," yet he can't park to save his life. He ends up parking his car half in the street, almost two feet away from the curb.

Then I have a real winner who has white paint on his curb to mark where his house begins and ends. This is so he can park his giant van there.