WASE KLMR CROPS BSTRDS

August 7, 2020 2:53 PM

I was walking along the path to the Burlington [VT] Bike path ferry, and I saw a sticker on a pole that looked just like this. Googling, I found just two images, but no context. Any idea what it's about?
posted by MtDewd to Pets & Animals (5 answers total)

Those are usually tags. Graffiti crews will put stickers together that list their tags like this, with their crew name on it (probably BSTRDS). Run around, put up a bunch of stickers to get your name up. If you keep your eyes open for graffiti elsewhere you might see the same names come up, on stickers or on paint.
posted by wemayfreeze at 2:56 PM on August 7, 2020 [1 favorite]

They've been seen around Montreal.
posted by zadcat at 3:03 PM on August 7, 2020

Looks like there's a crew in Montréal using those tags.
posted by hanov3r at 3:05 PM on August 7, 2020

Yeah I see those stickers and the individual tags all the time around Montreal.
posted by mekily at 3:18 PM on August 7, 2020

Best answer: WASE, KLMR, and CROPS are the names the writers use for graffiti, BSTRDS is their 'crew' aka. group of friends they paint with.

Usually the way this works is WASE, KLMR, and CROPS all get together, count their pennies, and do a bulk sticker order with everyone's names on them. You can see the design is intentionally set up so that it would be easy to cut the individual names out for even more stickers.

The specifics differ but every city has different crews doing this exact thing.
posted by bradbane at 6:33 PM on August 7, 2020 [3 favorites]