Some call it scratchiti, a word that lends it an air of near-dignity it hardly deserves. It is the etching of nicknames into subway-car windows and walls, usually by teen-agers armed with keys, coins, razor blades and, if you can believe this, super-sharp rocks formed from lava, to be found in many hardware stores.

It is costing the Transit Authority upwards of $ 20 million yearly to combat the "scratchiti" inflicted on us by a new generation of defacers. The money is spent replacing scratched glass and on cleaning crews who can wipe off the lighter scratches.