Just what New York needs: More graffiti

NEW YORK, April 10 (UPI) -- New York City politicians and transit officials are angry the Adidas sportswear company invited seven graffiti artists to color up a replica subway car.

The marketing stunt on Tuesday was to mark the launch of new collection of hip-hop-themed sneakers, with one marketing executive describing street graffiti as a "higher form of art," the New York Daily News reported.

Police figures show there were 1,072 graffiti-related arrests in the city this year, an increase over the same time period last year, but that isn't enough for long-time anti-graffiti crusader, City Councilor Peter Vallone.

"Graffiti has nothing to do with sneakers, so basically it's just another despicable corporation trying to look edgy by promoting a crime in search of profits ... like posting a billboard calling on teens to break the law," Vallone told the Daily News.

Paul Fleuranges, a New York City Transit spokesman went further, suggesting the "tagging" wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

"In all due respect, real artists use canvas," he said.