Car covered in profanity spotted on Strēlnieku Street in Riga
A photo of a black car in Riga, on Strēlnieku Street, covered in white English-language inscriptions has spread on social media. The reason behind it is unknown.
An unusual sight on Strēlnieku Street in Riga has drawn attention on social media: a black car with its body and rear covered in crude writing. The photo was posted on the social network Threads by a user who captioned it “Someone has sinned on Strēlnieku Street…”. What happened and why the car was marked this way cannot be determined from the image.
What the photo shows
Several English-language curse words and phrases are written in white paint on the car. The writing appears on the sides, the rear and the roof. The inscription on the front suggests the owner may be a liar. It is unclear whether the writing resulted from a conflict, was meant as a joke, or has another cause.
Reaction from commenters
The post prompted discussion. Some commenters took it with humour and tried to imagine the reason. One joked that “HA HA HA HA” on the rear bumper might mean: “No hard feelings. Call me!” Another user suggested it could be a new trend and that the owner may have marked the car personally. Another wrote: “Fine, if the owner is like that, but whoever did the scribbling is no better, what is going on in their head.”
What the law says
If someone deliberately painted on the car without the owner’s permission, it can be treated as damage to another person’s property. In Latvia, depending on the circumstances, criminal liability may apply, and the offender may also have to compensate the owner for the losses caused.
Section 185 of the Criminal Law, covering intentional destruction or damage of another’s property, provides for imprisonment of up to two years, short-term imprisonment, probation supervision, community service or a fine. If the damage was caused by arson or another generally dangerous method, on a large scale, or with other serious consequences defined by law, the penalty may be harsher: imprisonment of up to ten years and probation supervision of up to three years, or without it.
