Beneath the words of wisdom and the slogans of despair, someone's gone and written "I'm Sorry" there

[venta]

For some years, the M40 has sported one of my favourite locations for graffiti. I'm not sure when I first noticed it - travelling on the coach from Oxford to London, or when I started driving, I imagine - but there it was, plastered across a fence just before the junction with the M25.

It's a pannelled fence and in childish writing, one letter per panel, it read "Why do I do this every day?". Further along, in block capitals, was possibly my all-time favourite graffito "EAT MORE PEAS!". I don't actually like peas, but something about being given dietary advice by a motorway fence appealed to me. Later someone added in glossy, white letters "Jesus, Prince of Strife".

Then a few years ago, it all changed. The question was replaced with the insistent "Why do I still do this every day?", in the same childish writing on a grass-green background. It obliterated the peas, and ate into the edge of Jesus.

For a long time, I thought it was sad. The persistent plea of a tired commuter, sick to death of the M40 but tied to a job that required it. Then I realised that actually, there must be thousands of such weary commuters, and only one with the time, energy and resources to lug a large quantity of paint up a hill and trumpet his (or her) dissatisfaction with the status quo. Maybe others had thought about it, but none had actually done it. The determination in itself transforms them from the humdrum commuter they claim to be.

The other week, though, it was all change again. A new slogan adorns the fence. In giant, bulgy 3D capitals it now reads "NEW TEAM SUPREME". I'm sure a different hand has been at work; maybe they're just announcing their claim of the fence. I look forward to developments.

Comments

[maviscruet.livejournal.com]

But what if that was not writen by a harrased commutor - but by somebody else mocking/attempting to awaken in them the sense of "why are you still doing this". Is that better or worse?

[venta.livejournal.com]

Worse, definitely. I'd considered that, but always thought they'd have asked "Why do *you* do this every day?".

[maviscruet.livejournal.com]

Unless there trying to insert it into your brain in a subliminal way. I mean I immagine most people don't really read it. It's just part of the background so it sinks in. And then the thought "Why do you do this everyday" would be odd, and not you. But "why do I do this everyday" would be terrible....

Equally immagine how the guy that did it would feel. Every day - the reminder of the drudgery would appear - and he would ask him self "why do I do this everyday" and unless he's got a good reason "My poor sick child needs the medicine" it would be depressing...

[venta.livejournal.com]

Na, I think the sort of person who'd want to jerk others out of their commuting stupor by painting messages would write 'you'. Otherwise they'd feel involved in the commuting process, and it would taint their soul.

As for the guy who did it - he might be stuck in mindlesss drudgery, but every day he could think "Ha! But for one fantastic night I wallowed around in a gallon and a half of green emulsion and created that as my momunment!". I think it'd be inspirational.

[onebyone.livejournal.com]

I had also guessed that it was written by someone who didn't do it every day. I think a poll is in order.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

Maybe the new graffiti is actually part of a bigger graffiti picture in which the two parties, NEW TEAM SUPREME and the other guy, paint over each other's graffiti every day, and the other guy has been driven to despair by having to redo his every day - and now he has fallen off the bridge and broken his leg, and NEW TEAM SUPREME stand unchallenged.