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San Francisco Barbershop Fights Graffiti With Rubber Ducks
CBS News ^ | February 22, 2024 | Itay Hod

Posted on 02/23/2024 11:22:42 AM PST by nickcarraway

A longtime San Francisco barber, Shorty Maniace, has never been the type to ruffle anyone's feathers.

But when faced with unsightly graffiti next to his beloved barbershop J.P. Kempt, rather than duck responsibility, Maniace hatched a plan.

"This was just me messing around and having fun and it turned out to be something great," Maniace said

His weapon of choice? Rubber duckies. Hundreds of them.

"I see a lot of people smile and I smile every time I look at it," he said.

It all started innocently enough, Maniace had some rubber ducks left over from a Halloween party and decided to put them to good use.

"Who doesn't love a rubber duck?" he asked.

Armed with a drill and a vision, he began attaching funny fowl to the boarded-up business next door.

The result is a colorful work of art. So colorful, in fact, it has become a hotspot for influencers looking for some duck-themed dazzle.

"I've never seen a duck wall before and I just had to take a selfie," said San Francisco resident Sherlin Wong

All in all, he's got about 700 rubber duckies of different shapes and colors. There's a pirate, a unicorn, a clown and some that aren't ducks at all.

"I've had people ask me, 'Does it come from China?' I tell them, 'I don't know where they migrated from but they're safe here now,'" Maniace said.

When someone occasionally spray-paints them, Maniace quickly finds a replacement.

"What I've noticed more than anything is stealing," he said. "I would love to be the fly on the wall to see that duck cartel."

His unconventional approach has even received a stamp of approval from the city.

"I absolutely loved this. It really quacked me up," said Rachel Gordon, a spokeswoman for the San Francisco Department of Public Health.

According to Gordon, the city spends far more than $10 million a year fighting graffiti. She said any effort to stop it is welcome, as long as it's legal.

"As long as the rubber ducks are not blocking the path of travel, which they're not, it's fine what they did. What I especially appreciate is that he asked the property owner, 'Is this OK to do?'" she added.

Turns out, those rubber ducks aren't just good for the neighborhood -- they're also good for business.

"This was a corner nobody looked at and now more and more people are going, 'I had no idea there was a barbershop here,'" Maniace said.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Local News; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: rubberducks; texasgatorkaren
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To: Steve_Seattle

Just a heads up, private property or not graffiti has been around as long as mankind has existed.


21 posted on 02/23/2024 12:42:39 PM PST by Freest Republican (This space for rent)
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To: nickcarraway

I know graffiti has been around forever, but in my area, it’s gotten way worse in recent years. If you drive through Seattle on I-5, there’s graffiti all along the corridor, including in places where it seems difficult or dangerous to get to, like on overpasses and bulkheads in the middle of the freeway. You would not have seen that 15 or 20 years ago.


22 posted on 02/23/2024 1:28:29 PM PST by Steve_Seattle
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To: V_TWIN

The greenies would outlaw it.


23 posted on 02/23/2024 1:41:18 PM PST by VTenigma (Conspiracy theory is the new "spoiler alert")
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To: TexasGator

24 posted on 02/23/2024 1:42:50 PM PST by moovova ("The NEXT election is the most important election of our lifetimes!“ LOL...)
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To: V_TWIN

It’s already here. Used in
transit busses, subway cars,
and passenger trains.


25 posted on 02/23/2024 2:07:38 PM PST by Lean-Right (Eat More Moose)
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To: nickcarraway

A story about a visual thing from CBS…and no picture. Sure. Why not?


26 posted on 02/23/2024 2:15:37 PM PST by TalBlack (I We have a Christian duty and a patriotic duty. God help us.)
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To: nickcarraway

“””I’ve had people ask me, ‘Does it come from China?’ I tell them, ‘I don’t know where they migrated from but they’re safe here now,’” Maniace said.””

.

Oh good grief.

The prog that wrote this actually thinks people will not see his BS in the story?

Someone on the streets walks up to a wall full of rubber ducks and asks where are the rubber ducks from?

REALLY?

And the supposed answer is they >>migrated<< from China?

MIGRATED??

And as “migrants” they are safe now, here in the US.

Migrant rubber ducks.

Yes sir, a truly inspiring success story, those migrant rubber ducks.

.

Could we ask Elon to invent an OFF switch for them.

The world would be forever grateful.

.


27 posted on 02/23/2024 3:22:55 PM PST by TLI (ITINERIS IMPENDEO VALHALLA)
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To: V_TWIN

It’s called wax.


28 posted on 02/23/2024 3:44:49 PM PST by chickenlips (Neuter your politicians)
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To: TexasGator

My old grammar teacher would have to get a new red marker after grading your post!
= = =

So she would contribute to the grafitti?


29 posted on 02/23/2024 8:21:52 PM PST by Scrambler Bob
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To: Lean-Right

Crap! Another one of my million dollar ideas stolen! Again! 😁


30 posted on 02/24/2024 4:00:26 AM PST by V_TWIN (America...so great even the people that hate it refuse to leave!)
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To: Scrambler Bob

Don’t quit your day job ...


31 posted on 02/24/2024 8:01:37 AM PST by TexasGator
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To: V_TWIN

One thing in your favor
though;
I’ve not heard where it’s
used on buildings.


32 posted on 02/24/2024 11:09:04 AM PST by Lean-Right (Eat More Moose)
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