Last night’s rain has left this city soggy, and I was a bit nervous about getting caught in a downpour on my ride to work. I stayed dry, but it’s definitely time to start thinking about getting some quality rain gear. I took the Surly out for the first time since I got home tonight, pedaling through Central City in the thick air. God, I love that bike. I snapped this picture on my way home, of graffiti at Dauphine and Conti. I’m not sure what makes some graffiti–I’m thinking of the stuff that says READ painted on abandoned buildings around town–and other graffiti just, well, graffiti. I pass this piece on my ride home all the time, and I just hate it. Sock Hop For Cops. I don’t get it, I don’t think there’s anything to get, and I’m just not digging it. But I don’t know why. I wonder what makes some graffiti interesting, or art, or property defacement. My eyes have largely stopped seeing graffiti at this point, especially these pieces I pass all the time. But some nights, like tonight, I see them again and wonder again who put it there, why, and what other people see when they pass it. It’s good to be back on the bike.
What I Saw Riding My Bike Around Today 
Wow, people are different! I just love that graffito.
Yeah, me too! I think it’s like “rama lama ding dong”. Just sorta rolls off the tongue…
Paint something meaningful over that cop thing.
That one’s been there for months….and yet this one gets painted over in a jiffy:
Kate,
From what i have heard about that little piece of graffiti lettering on dauphine “sock hop for cops” … whenever that building was up and running. im assuming before katrina. people of the city heard through word of mouth that that building was a place where cops and undercovers would get together and have secret mettings about the city. the building is abandon now but it doesnt take long in the city of new orleans for people to find out what cops are up to.. so that little piece of spray painting was more of a heads up then a artistic piece of graffiti, it is still nice but all and all thats where the slogan came from — SOCK HOP FOR COPS.
Erin, thanks for the info! EEEEK!