Etiquette in New York: How to Deal with Subway Slobs
Posted on Tue, Jul 20, 2010
by Lyudmila Bloch, Etiquette Expert
Photo credit by www. seathogs.com
“As Metro congestion grows, so does anger at 'seat hogs,” writes Ann Scott Tyson in the July 19, 2010, issue of The Washington Post, after she interviewed a number of Metro riders in our nation’s capital. She notes that “in New York, subway authorities have banned selfishness with seats. A rider who occupies more than one seat, places a foot on a seat, lies on the floor or blocks movement on a train risks being cited for ’disorderly conduct’ and charged a $50 fine.”
Unfortunately, those rules are not enforced, because the MTA does not have the budget to enforce these regulations.
“Many people simply don’t care, perhaps unable to grasp any sense of social contract. Etiquette often is ’N/A,’ with people/goons who: blast their headphones on the subway, smack and pop their chewing gum, spread their legs across both neighboring seats, and leave fast-food trash behind them. These infractions are much different than things like the occasional pause at the top/bottom of stairs, or the absent-minded veer into your path. How should the ’etiquette enabled’ crowd respond in these ’N/A’ situations?”— asked a New York Times reader, when I was taking questions on ”Etiquette in New York” back in May, 2010.(http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/03/ask-about-etiquette-in-new-york/)
How can we deal with rude and arrogant seat hogs and other offenders who eat, drink, and clip nails while we are within inches of their repulsive acts?
A subway ride in New York City is my daily challenge because of the gross behavior on display 24/7, and I try to avoid it at all costs. The only solution I can offer is a massive public education campaign in subways, train stations, stadiums, parks, etc. The MTA has rules of conduct, but they are not often enforced, as I mentioned earlier. To effectively impact the general public, we need to advertise our message loud and clear.
Over the past two years, many New Yorkers have grown so fed up with etiquette slobs -- especially in tight, enclosed spaces like trains and buses – that they’ve taken the matter into their own hands. One artist created a series of posters to promote etiquette awareness, and another group called Holla Back New York started publishing pictures online of offensive behaviors.
AM NEW YORK reported back in April 2010, that “the lifelong New Yorker surreptitiously snaps photos of commuters with his cell phone and posts them on the site (www.trainpigsponk.blogspot.com), which has attracted 25,000 hits since it launched last year. Sickened commuters generated about 40 percent of the 300 posts, according to the ’Head Pigparazzi in Charge,’ as the blogger calls himself.” At about the same time, on April 16, 2010, I gave an interview on the same subject to CBS Evening News in New York /Watchdog Web Sites Exploit Bad NYC Subway Behavior. (http://http://wcbstv.com/seenat11/nyc.subways.subway.2.1636240.html
During the interview this blogger was off camera, and his voice was altered for his protection. Apparently, some irate “train hogs,” whose pictures were posted on his website, had threatened the blogger, and he could not reveal his identity.
Pro-social behavior is uncommon conduct among many New Yorkers and D.C. residents -- as pointed out by the media mentioned in this blog. The only solution to this nightmare is a consistent public campaign for civility, and public support for this cause!