A cafe owner on the Lower East Side confronted two men who were tagging his dining shed, resulting in a video that was shared on Instagram on June 11. The men were seen grinning and shrugging off the owner’s questions as they finished the graffiti on the orange interior of the shed. Despite the owner, Kaiser Richter, explaining that he paid $16,000 for the shed, one of the taggers dismissed the cost and the quality of the work with a smirk.
As the taggers casually walked away, Richter called out that he would be reporting the incident to the police. He later provided the video to law enforcement who were now searching for the two men involved in the vandalism. Social media commenters expressed outrage at the taggers’ lack of shame and their bold actions in broad daylight. Some viewers hoped that the police would take action against the vandals, who were described as adults rather than teenagers.
The Flowers Cafe Instagram account later uploaded a second video showing new tags added to the shed within an hour of closing time on Sunday evening. The caption read “Lawless city New York,” indicating frustration with the ongoing vandalism. The NYPD did not immediately provide an update on the investigation when reached for comment. Flowers Cafe itself did not respond to requests for a statement from The Post regarding the incidents of tagging on their property.
The incident highlighted the ongoing issue of vandalism in the Lower East Side and the challenges faced by small business owners in protecting their property. Richter’s confrontation with the taggers and subsequent sharing of the video on social media brought attention to the lack of respect and accountability shown by those who engage in graffiti on private property. The incident sparked discussion online about the need for stricter enforcement of vandalism laws and the importance of supporting local businesses in the community.
Overall, the incident involving the tagging of Flowers Cafe’s dining shed shed light on the brazen nature of vandalism in broad daylight and the impact it has on small business owners. Richter’s efforts to confront the taggers and seek justice through law enforcement demonstrated the challenges faced by those affected by graffiti and other forms of property damage. The incident also brought attention to the need for community support in addressing vandalism and respecting private property in urban areas like the Lower East Side.
