Cape Town Daily Photo

Under the bridge

2009-07-05T07:37:26Z

Graffiti under the N1

I mentioned graffiti, and its often un-artistic form, in the previous post. This photo is taken at the Kuilsrivier crossing of the N1 national highway - about 30 kilometres from the city centre.

Reflecting on the photo caused me to wonder if the 26 painted on the wall was a reference to the 26s prison gang prevalent in the Cape Town area. As I understand it, the 26s, 27s and 28s are three prison gangs with different roles. I won’t get into it now, but it seems as though the 26s are focused on accumulating wealth “which was to be distributed among all three segments, through cunning and trickery but never violence”, according to this article.

Who in the world is Dratlock?

2009-07-05T07:31:54Z

Concrete pylon

I have no idea who Dratlock is. It may not even be someone’s name, nickname, or callsign. Does anybody have an idea as to who or what it is?

I’ve posted photos of graffiti in Cape Town before, mostly of mural art rather than instances of vandalism. The reality is that just like any city ours has its fair share of graffiti that is not always the most appealing or artistic type. Plenty of tax money ends up being spent on cleaning up the mess instead of on improvement projects, or benefiting the community in some way. The City of Cape Town is however in the process of drafting a by-law to address graffiti. The by-law will put in place a graffiti unit that will focus on the problem and be in a position to lay civil and criminal charges against offenders.

I remember years ago when we visited Sydney my nephew mentioned that kids under 18 aren’t allowed to buy spraypaint at all… and in fact may not be in the possession of such unless in the presence of an adult! This law is much like the law that prevents kids in South Africa from buying cigarettes. The reality is that many kids under 18 manage to buy smokes anyway, so I don’t believe limiting who may buy spraypaint would be very effective. In fact, it would have totally sucked if this law were in place in South Africa when I was younger. I remember buying loads of paint in my youth to spray everything from skateboards to science projects, and even shoes! Seriously.

If you are an artist, then don’t worry too much. It seems as though the by-law will cater for graffiti artists, providing areas for them to express their art… which I must say, is often just astounding.

First aid for electric shock

2009-07-02T20:47:23Z

First aid for electric shock victims

This site is where (presumably) high-voltage current, carried from huge electricity pylons and copper wire, meets the earth, heading underground to nearby homes. The signs posted around the fence are supposed to help you with first aid in case you need to assist someone who’s been electrocuted.

Of course, it goes without saying that when someone has just been electrocuted, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll have the luxury of time to read this board or surf the web for an answer. So take a moment, read this article, and do some more research on how to give first aid - you could save someone’s life and prevent yourself from getting injured in the process.

Four points that may be obvious, but are key to remember, are:

Switch off the power source
Don’t get yourself electrocuted
You may have to start CPR
High-voltage victims may have broken bones and internal damage - be careful if you have to move them

Lego - fun for all ages

2009-06-30T19:38:19Z

Lego, fun for all ages

Come on now, admit it, everyone loves playing with Lego… don’t they? After chatting with several friends who have kids I’ve decided that guys (and perhaps a few girls) have kids only so that they can justify buying Lego. I believe that our stand-in photographer Mandy has no kids and is unashamedly a Lego-lover (which is why we have this photo today!).

An interesting thing that I discovered from the Wikipedia article on Lego is that Ole Kirk Christiansen, Lego’s inventor, actually used a patented design by Hilary Harry Fisher Page called Kiddicraft. Kiddicraft was developed in the 1930s, while Lego materialised in the 1940s. Lego (due to its remarkable success) eventually succeeded in purchasing the rights to Kiddicraft in 1981.

Aren’t we all lucky that Ole “leveraged” the Kiddicraft design? Were it not for this small part of history, it’s possible that millions would never have experienced the joy of Lego!

No apparent danger

2009-06-30T18:30:08Z

No swimming

The area around this signpost is littered with dolosse - big concrete blocks used to break the force of the waves hitting the retaining wall of the V&A Waterfront’s parking area.

Even if you were a strong swimmer accustomed to braving the icy water, and even if the ocean looked particularly calm, the small waves ebbing and flowing would quickly crash you against the barnacle-covered concrete dolosse, making your swim at best rather unpleasant, and at worst, fatal.

It’s strange how apparently calm waters can actually be very rough seas for humans, when combined with immovable objects like these dolosse. This sort of “apparent safety” is presumably also the reason that I see parents driving with their young kids unrestrained in their cars. If you do on occasion allow your kids unrestrained in a vehicle, imagine for a moment running as fast as you can into a sheet of glass. It takes a lot to make me angry - but this does.

If you’re a parent, take a moment to visit the Childsafe website and read the Arrive Alive article on ensuring that your children are kept safe while in transit.

Thank-you to Mandy for helping out with photos, including this one, while we’ve been touring around the country for the Confederations Cup.

Cannonfire at the Castle

2009-06-28T18:06:54Z

Half-pounder Cannon

A friend of mine, Bennie Vivier, belongs to the Tygerberg Photography Society; the society members visited the Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town on an outing - an educational opportunity and a chance to capture some extraordinary photos.

Bennie managed to snap this photo when a member of the Cannon Society fired this half-pounder cannon. I’m surprised not to see the cannonball floating in mid air!

Some time ago cannons fell under the Firearms Act, which meant that they were governed by the same restrictions applying to modern firearms. The Cannon Society petitioned the authorities, and to satisfy the South African Police they drew up an official safety handbook, set up a code of conduct, and agreed to training courses for gunners. Today cannons and antique muzzle-loaded firearms have been deregulated and no longer fall under the Firearms Act (although a competency certificate obtained through proper training is required).

Buildings, banners and winds

2009-06-27T18:24:57Z

Banner torn by high winds

Thankfully we haven’t been in Cape Town to experience this week’s storms, which seem to have been an illustration of why the Dutch at first called the area the “Cape of Storms”. Mandy, on the other hand, has been there, but absolutely refused to walk about in the rain taking photos of the carnage! (Which I completely understand.)

As quickly as the storms arrive, they disappear, leaving in their wake blue skies and, in this case, torn banners. Normally, once the storm has subsided, we find that our beaches and seaside roads are covered in foam and debris from the ocean. One good thing resulting from these kinds of storms is that the skies are cleared completely of all the smog that would have hung low in the air, obscuring the beautiful nature that surrounds the city.