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Well since I get no answer from joegreen to my question about why it is OK to tag private property unless it is a place of religion or a personal home or car, I will answer it myself.A large part of the graffiti motive is to lash out at material success, wealth, achievement and authority---the so-called power structure.  So the resentment is focused on commercial or public buildings, infrastructure, trains, or any large surface owned by what they see as the power structure. At the same time they exempt ordinary individuals and their private property from their attack because it is not seen as part of the material excesses of the power structure.  In fact, they see themselves engaged in a kind of moral crusade against the wealthy establishment on behalf of the little guy, so naturally they spare the little guys' houses from their outrage.Taggers see honor in this self-righteous mission and feel that they occupy the moral high ground.  Hence their willingness to refrain from littering with empty paint cans while doing thousands of dollars worth of damage to rich people. It is similar to the rationalization that it is OK to burn down "McMansions" in the name of protecting the environment when the real motive is class envy, and a hatred of capitalism, material success, and rich people.Here is a very interesting link to a rather highbrow analysis and rationalization of graffiti culture:  <a href="http://www.graffiti.org/faq/werwath/werwath.html">http://www.graffiti.org/faq/werwath/werwath.html</a>It is laced with references to this contempt for authority motive.  In a nutshell, the graffiti is a painted message that can express this contempt in words and graphics.  And the damage done to private property in the process is a continuation of the expression of that contempt.
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