Blogdowntown investigates: Sidewalk chalk
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — A week after chaos ensued at Chalk Walk, tensions are still running high between members of Occupy LA and the Los Angeles Police Department.
Blogdowntown recently spoke with Captain Horace Frank of the LAPD who explained why the chalking was such a big deal.
“I can tell you that based on my discussions with some of the … folks over at Pershing Square … it costs them money to pay to wash it off,” Frank told Blogdowntown. “It takes a considerable amount of effort to power wash … And we’ve seen the bills that come with [power washing] … You’re not just going to wash this off with a hose, because they tried it.”
The police captain added that even if the chalk was able to be removed with an everyday hose, someone would have to foot the bill for the time and money spent to do so.
Although the specific type of chalk protesters used last week is unknown at this point, we at Blogdowntown, in a non-scientific study, tested different types of street art tools to see how difficult they are to remove. We tested regular sidewalk chalk, soft pastels and oil-based pastels. Pastels are often used in street art competitions and provide a more permanent and colorful alternative to chalk.
We drew the same picture three times, one with each type of chalk, and tested how much water and how long each took to wear off.
Test #1
The first product tested was ordinary sidewalk chalk. An entire stick of chalk was used, and the center was filled in as completely as possible.
With a regular hose (no added pressure to the nozzle), the drawing was completely erased in seconds.
![](http://blogdowntown.com/ah/i/c14825fc38edb12170a0c4f4c79dab9e/8724-eight.jpg")
Test #2
Next came the soft pastels, which were purchased at a local arts shop. This drawing took nearly three pastels to draw, as they are much smaller than standard pieces of chalk. According to a worker at Blick’s Art store in Pasadena, this is the same drawing instrument used in the Pasadena Chalk Walk every year.
After a quick rinse with a limp hose, the drawing was somewhat erased, though there were noticeable marks left over that could not be erased with regular water pressure. With higher water pressure for a couple of minutes, the pastel came all the way off.
Test #3
The last product used was oil-based pastels. Nearly four pastels were used here, as they dissolved quickly. As with all the other tests, regular water with no added pressure was used first on the drawing. The result: none of the drawing was removed.
With added water pressure (including holding the hose at a close proximity to piece of art) and scrubbing the picture, it took nearly 20 minutes for the drawing to be erased. Even then, there were still faint traces of the colors left over.
So, depending on the drawing tool used, clean up could be radically different. Sidewalk chalk only needs a limp hose, whereas oil-based chalk could indeed require power-washing.
Todd Occupy Downing on July 19, 2012, at 06:19PM – #1
Thank you for your piece. I was not aware there was even such a thing as oil-based chalk. Note Occupiers only ever use your typical, until recently, boring sidewalk chalk. Again - thank you. PS - Capt Frank is a menace to public safety. I have witnessed him on at least 3 occasions escalate peaceful situations in to a violent confrontation. With the violent offenders being the LAPD under his command. He is not fit for duty and should be fired immediately. http://www.change.org/petitions/mayor-villaraigosa-governor-jerry-brown-attorney-general-eric-holder-investigate-lapd-use-of-force-on-angelenos-at-art-walk-on-7-12-12
Burkey Devitt (@Cynthia_Burkey) on July 19, 2012, at 08:21PM – #2
I appreciate the story and the perspective.
However, I'm much more concerned over the alarming videos that have surfaced showing violent police behavior and weapons deployed against peaceful protesters.
There's no mention of this in the story and from that I gather this is not a concern for "blogdowntown.com."
That's too bad, because not everyone agrees that it's not an issue. The U.S. government still has not responded to a letter from the U.N. asking why police attacked peaceful demonstrators repeatedly during last year's Occupy events. I understand that was part of the reason for the protest.
Weighing the two issues, I simply can't muster much sympathy for anyone who supports, condones, or ignores that kind of violence.
zeMinimalist (@zeMinimalist) on July 19, 2012, at 08:26PM – #3
So Occupy LA thinks that unwanted tagging and graffiti on private property, tagging and graffiti on public property in the form of hate speech such as "Kill Cops"... is legal? They were the joke of the city and a menace to the 99% when they were living in a public park and blocking the 99% as they were occupying the roads, and now this? I guess they wish to continue being the joke of the city, distracting people from the real problems in the world and instead directing the attention onto their foolish acts making the 99% despise them. I think all I've learned (and I might be speaking for many people), is that there will always be ignorant, violent, and entitled teenagers in the world. Hey, Occupy LA, I hear there's a place where all your troubles will go away. No, not Hanalei, it's called Utopia. I'd like to disclose that I'm a member of the 99%.
A B on July 20, 2012, at 08:48AM – #4
Todd and Burkey,
You're both in denial. Buildings and cars were vandalized because of what the Occupiers started that night when they hijacked Artwalk, and the mom and pop businesses lost money.
Todd, unless you were there, supervising your loser comrades,how would you know what type of chalk was being used?
Burkey, the Occupiers and agitators started the whole situation. Occupiers have to stoop so low to get attention. How embarrassing.
David McBane on July 20, 2012, at 09:34AM – #5
I too was unaware there was oil-based chalk but the chalk I cleaned-off a building seemed like ordinary chalk - it came off pretty quick.
TODOSSOMOSPUTOS (@TODOSSOMOSPUTOS) on July 20, 2012, at 11:14AM – #6
zeMinimalist:
Without Occupy, their ongoing presence and efforts, you wouldn't have the framework to even use an expression as "the 99%." It's because of the work that they've done that you're even aware of the difference.
Pershing was a square on July 23, 2012, at 11:04AM – #7
@#6 - the 99% tagline is a great thing, except that in too many cases it's meaningless, like most marketing taglines. If you don't agree with occupy, you're in the 1%, no matter what you do or your income. The stated goal of targeting gentrification in downtown also targets a lot of the 99%. Yes, there are some very wealthy people in downtown, but also plenty of people who aren't making 1% money. If Occupy wants to remain relevant, they should stay focused on the banks and financial system, equalizing the tax code, social safety nets - things like that, which will help society at large. Instead, these local cabals of occupiers waste marketing capital on things like chalking that only raise the ire of everyone but occupiers. If LAPD violence is important to you, then do that, but doing it under the rubrik of Occupy does the original movement a strong disservice. The nebulousness of goals will be (or really was) the undoing of Occupy and the artwalk cry for relevancy only proves that.