Lady, you’re doing it completely wrong. (Photo by flickr user Runs With Scissors)
Over the years, I’ve often returned to the theme of underground etiquette. It’s always entertaining to think about future subway expansion plans, ongoing construction projects and the things we would do if money were no obstacle. But on a more immediate level, the way we ride and interact with each other lends more to our day-to-day subway rides than any theoretical transit expansion does.
By and large, New Yorkers are considerate of each other on the subway. Rare are the days when someone is stabbed simply for staring, but lesser violations can mar our days or our weeks. Those lesser incidents too are usually minor. Someone will not get out of the way; someone will hug a pole or block a door. Some subway preacher will interrupt an otherwise-peaceful morning commute or a bunch of kids will insist that it’s showtime. We’ve all been there.
This week, Gawker, in a way only Gawker can, reminded us of the bad times. Their post — The Ten Worst People on the Subway — has been making the rounds in every possible format. It’s been shared countless times on my Facebook timeline (including by me); it’s been on Twitter; and it’s even been included in an email my dad sent me on Thursday afternoon. With 650,000 pageviews as of this writing, it is a viral sensation and one that seems to ring a bit too close to home for many New Yorkers who ride the subway each day.
So who are these ten terrible straphangers? I’ll urge you to read Gawker’s snarky commentary on them all, but here’s the top ten:
- The person standing in front of an open seat on a crowded train.
- The people standing in front of the door who don’t move when the doors open.
- The people who get on before letting everyone off.
- The people who lean on the pole.
- The people who try to make you let go of the pole before the train stops.
- The people who act like they’re the only ones who are going to get off at a major stop.
- The people who stand on the narrowest area of the platform.
- The people who stop hurrying down the steps once they see it’s not their train coming.
- The people who eat cooked food.
- Teenagers.
It’s hard to disagree with much of this list though I’m not sure No. 7 belongs. I’d also add the people — like my seat neighbor this morning — who insist on spreading their legs for no good reason and the more active interrupters such as the aforementioned breakdancers. Riders who put bags on empty seats deserve our scorn as well. Subway riders who can’t remove their backpacks on crowded trains get an honorable mention.
Whenever I run across these situations or posts like Hamilton’s on Gawker, I always wonder why we care so much. I think we care so much because riding the subway is a collective experience. Over the past six or seven decades, America has been a more individualistic country where we guard our space, and travel by car is a very solitary experience. But the subways are the opposite. We have no space, and we have to share it with millions of other people every single day.
And so we expect everyone else to be courtesy because it’s a shared experience that’s less than ideal. If I’m going to keep my legs closed, my bag contained and my body within its allocated space — if I’m going to move into the middle of the car and get out of the way when someone needs to get by — everyone else should do. Yet, New Yorkers also like to think the rules don’t apply to them. They bike against the flow of people in the running lane in Prospect Park; they speed through red lights to save 5 seconds of travel time; they block doors; they hop turnstiles; they don’t stand to the right and walk on the left. And that’s why we get the popular senstation of Gawker’s list.
44 comments
If there’s one positive argument to never have platform screen doors, is that it makes it more likely that these people will be pushed onto the tracks.
Can’t stand the breakdancing kids. It’s beyond annoying on a packed weekend A train where I usually see them. That list on Gawker is pretty accurate except for #7 as Ben says. I don’t know if I hate anything more than the people who block doors or try and enter the subway car before people can get off. That might as well be a ticket-worthy offense.
I think, for starters, sterilization might be a good penalty for the door blockers and those who rush in
I’d like to add:
People who clip their nails
This.
People who eat and spit sunflower seeds.
People who leave bottles onboard trains that end up invariably rolling around. This is especially aggravating when there is still some liquid inside and/or is a glass bottle.
People who leave cups and bottles on the edge of the platform while on a train in a station with the doors open.
People who get way Way WAY intimate on a crowded train.
The rarely seen but frequently smelled public urinater.
Litterers
The MTA should post etiquette signs in the subway & buses, don’t assume everyone knows the rules.
By passageways and stairways- keep to the right!
By escalators – stand to the right, allow others to pass on the left
and so on.
People who eat and abandon their trash under the seats (eventually, eating on trains will be banned, thanks for people who won’t eat responsibly)
People who slouch and stick their legs far into the aisle
“Earphone leakage”
People who talk loudly across aisles
People who try and exit through the turnstile you’ve already swiped to enter through
Panhandlers who say “sorry to bother you” (then don’t) and plead for “even a penny” (you know they expect more) or food (which I’ve seen them throw out)
Panhandlers, leafletters and newspaper distributors blocking stairs
People stopping in crowded stairwells to take phone calls
All of these are better than the original list.
Is the author really so afraid of people that it’s hard to politely say, “Excuse me” to the guy who is standing in front of the seat?
Are there really all that many people out there forcing innocent riders to abandon poles prematurely?
How can the guy who sees that it isn’t his train know that you’re running behind him? Is there some honorable way he can dive horizontally to get out of the second person’s way or is he obligated to run onto the train and ride it so as to maximize the author’s chance of getting on?
Does the person who wrote that even ride the subway?
I think there is an inherent fear that when you say excuse me to someone, they get really offended. I’ve seen it happen plenty of times. Try asking someone spreading their legs to stop and you’ll find out quick that seething about it may be a better idea. There’s a reason these folks aren’t following conventions of etiquette in the first place.
Who cares if you offend the other person, assuming said person does not appear to be both a violent psychopath and an obvious match for you in a fight?
There’s nothing wrong with politely saying “Excuse me.” or “Could you move over a bit?” You don’t have anything to lose. If the offender refuses, you’re no worse off than before.
Yes, occasionally, someone will start denouncing you, at high volume, with righteous indignation, but that’s really pretty rare and, when it does happen, pretty damned funny.
Sounds more like the author of the piece is social phobic.
I concur with Andrew. Really, who gives a shit if they’re offended by a perfectly normal “excuse me”? It’s a public space we all have to share.
I think some of these things you mention aren’t even rude per se, and some are accidents of poor station design. It may be an annoyance when people slow down when it’s not their train, but nobody should be obligated to run to the train and, as a matter of safety protocol, you can argue nobody should. Standing in front of an empty seat is often an accident of where you happen to be standing.
Yep, besides litterers, the most annoying people are the seemingly angry guys who sit with their legs spread WAY too widely. I actually make a point of sitting next to them by saying “excuse me” and sitting right down. I then make sure I sit normally which means my leg brushes against theirs until they finally move it over.
These guys absolutely PISS me off and most times they do adjust to it and only once did a guy get up in a huff.
People need to push back on these jerks – the French would.
Ok. I fixed the threading here. Let’s not make replying to spam comments a habit please. I delete them as soon as I see they made it through the filter.
I like your list much better.
If I might add the religous zealots who bark (their) scripture on the train. This is the absolutely most offensive on the morning commute. Way to start a day!!
I wonder how much of this annoyance at people who break subway etiquette is due to the fact that ridership is at an all-time high. I’m certain all of these were problems 30 years ago, but maybe they just weren’t as annoying because fewer people were riding? I mean, a guy hogging a pole doesn’t seem a big a deal when crime was at an all-time high and service was at an all-time low.
That said, number 5 seems new to me and it’s something that I’ve had happen to me more and more. I just don’t move until the train stops.
I object to having the entire category “teenagers” in the list. This is just bigotry, no different from putting “blacks” on the list. The only difference is that bigotry agains teenagers is socially acceptable and bigotry against blacks is not (well at least it’s unacceptable in the social circles I hang out with. In some circles it’s apparently A-OK 🙁 )
I’ve spent quite a bit of time with teenagers. Some are obnoxious, most are not. Just like their elders.
Agreed. They should be replaced with panhandlers/preachers/showtime pests
Have you been on the train when high school gets out and a pack of teenagers fresh out of school walk onto the train on their way home/elsewhere? Please let me know. I have been on this train, in this subway car, at numerous stops all over the system. They are all the same. NOISE. It is not bigotry. It’s a fact of life.
If you can’t take the noise and are that easily annoyed, by a car and drive around. The key word is PUBLIC transportation. Its not like you’re in your house, under your own RULES.
Hmmm, a lot of these complaints are pretty stupid… As with all things, behavior can be bad or not depending on the circumstance.
E.g., if I’m hurrying down the steps and see it’s not my train, I’m certainly not going to keep hurrying unless there are actually people hurrying behind me.
And sometimes I’ll be standing in front of an empty seat because there’s no place else to stand (and I don’t want to sit). I’ll obviously move if I see anybody who wants to sit down, but seriously, I’m not going to squeeze myself through the crowd to another place on the train simply to open up a passage to a seat for whiny gawker readers. If you want to sit down, say “excuse me.”
etc, etc. Indeed, I’d say only 2-3 of those complaints are really worth making. But people love to whine, and people loves lists, so lists of whining are like crack…
Disagree with 1. completely unless the person is deliberately blocking the seat from someone else. I shall err on the side of chivalry ye gawker, and let the tired, infirmed of someone who wants to squeeze in that tiny seat rest their weary legs and cheeks. So %#*#%) $@#$#) right back at you olde Gawker!
1) This is unfair. On very crowded trains, sometimes you find yourself in front of an empty seat. If you don’t want to sit, and you also can’t move in either direction, it’s all of sudden your fault you don’t sit?
2) Also relative. Sometimes you stand back to the door when its crowded and cant move further into the train when it stops because people rush out to exit the train, so you have to stand still. Then there is only a split second before people start rushing into the train. Most times, if its packed, just squeezing into the corner and allowing everyone to get in is the best bet.
I don’t see how you can complain about subway entertainers/panhandlers/preachers..etc. on the subway and still think you like the public environment of nyc generally. These are the things that make nyc a vibrant and participatory city, in which people interact with each other in free form—creating a unique expression that differentiates it from other cities. How many crazy things have I seen on the train? I got tons of stories. This is why a nyc train ride is superior to others—it’s an experience indicative of the city itself. It’s not just a ride from point A to B, but a cultural phenomenon. This is nyc—not America, not DC metro, or Portland light rail.
On very crowded trains, your refusal to sit results in a slightly less comfortable ride for everyone around you. It’s not as bad as refusing to move into the car but it’s up there.
Agreed. When the train is crowded, people who can sit, should sit. As a large person – the width across my shoulders far exceeds the seat width – I won’t squeeze in between two seated passengers. The best I can do is encourage someone nearby to be seated.
Because these things are formulaic. They aren’t an ‘interaction of people in free form’. We could all write a list right now of the top 10 pandhandlers/showtimers/homeless handout-askers that we see on the train everyday. It’s not unique or interesting or fun. These candy-sellers and Vietnam vets are all drawn from the same mold. You can say I’m making a generalization and being insensitive, but really? You’re telling me that every time you see a bunch of kids saying “IT’S SHOWTIME HERE SHOWTIME!!”, you’re absolutely excited and have no idea what you’re going to see? Give me a break.
The breakdancing teens have become a real problem on the L train. It’s happening almost every afternoon in the tunnel between 1st Ave and Bedford ave. After work I just want to throw on some headphones, and listen to music peacefully. Instead I have to deal with blaring speakers and feet flying in the air six inches from my face. All this happening while we are barreling at 60 mph underneath the East River. If they want to do this on the platform or elsewhere, fine, but not on a moving train! It’s only a matter of time before someone gets hurt. Where are the police in all of this? Even just their presence on the Union Square platform would deter this behavior. Recently, I’ve gotten better at recognizing their distinctive speaker that they use, and have changed cars at 1st or 3rd avenue, only to be confronted by another group in the next car. There seriously needs to be a crackdown on this by the police. I really hope to not have to hear “showtime, what time is it?” on the subway ever again.
Absolutely.
Being a Staten Islander, I don’t ride the subway nearly as much as many New Yorkers, but I have come across the in-car acrobats and they are a danger that no words can do justice. They need to be stopped, period.
The fish rots from the head.
The whole system is corrupt; government, and its affiliates.
I could care less if anyone hops the turnstiles.
Don’t forget about the “heavy set” people trying to squeeze into a seat between people so they don’t have to stand for 2 express stops. You are making it uncomfortable for everyone in the whole row. Plus, those people who bumrush to get a seat after someone exits the train. Like calm down it is not that serious, your name is not on the seat!
When some slob or slobette is intentionally spilling into a second seat, I just sit down as if they’re not even there. If they show no courtesy, I give them none back.
yeah, 1, 2, and 9.
i do 8 though.
1)The people whom block esclators on the left side. They need to keep clear of the left side and stay to the right!
It happens to me many times. I always walk up the esclators if my legs are tired I stay to the right. But when the left side of the esclator stop moving because of a person blocking the path. I get ticked off because I could miss my bus/train connections.
2) the rider whom put bags on the seat next to them and refusing to give up seats like the bag is their family members. One time on the I saw a seat but the lady put her bag on the seat. I asked her politely if she could move her bag and allow me to sit down. She barked at me yelling at me. I couldn’t understand her yelling because I’m deaf. I didn’t want to cause a scene so I stood and when the next stop she got off. I sat down.
3) The beggars! People always walking up and down the aisle asking for money. Breakdancing teens are annoying too. I was sitting when the teens started to dance and nearly kicked my face.
Why do some of you feel #7 does not belong? I have come to regard that as the worst form of subway behavior because it is not merely annoying but dangerous. The elderly, especially, are just terrified of walking along platform edges.
I think overall many of these ideas are quality of life issues that should be handled by the NYPD and the violators should be issued summonses, especially people who block passengers from moving from one area of MTA property to another.This includes the trains, platforms, escalators, etc. Nail clippings, sunflower seeds, etc can be all under the umbrella term “littering” and people who blast music from cell phones or have conversations on speakerphone (you may argue about phone calls in general that last too long.) I would have no problem if an undercover cop or even a uniformed cop ticketed someone doing some of these things. But, I remember many summers ago Bloomberg caught criticism because people were getting ridiculous tickets (pregnant woman sitting on subway steps, for example). Some of these quality of life problems seem to go by the wayside, even late at night or overnight. I saw a woman in a mostly empty train car at 1 PM today with her bags on the seat. The train wasnt crowded and certain cops might not put up a fight but some will. Once more and more of these rules get enforced these lists would get shorter, but many times the problem is that this is the status quo of the subway, and that certain things hardly get enforced. Some passengers are in their own little world and a little ass-kicking by means of a ticket blitz might change things, but first the MTA should post more rules around just to cover themselves.
I think in a big city like NY, the NYPD is more worried about catching dangerous criminals (which we do have) than trying to enforce rules like a lady putting her bags on the empty seat. Also, since people often go out with friends, it can be dangerous for a single cop or even two to approach people like that. They’d need back up and you might have to shut down the train or close the station. And you’d be delaying a lot of people’s commute, all for nothing. The NYPD will never enforce quality of life rules/manners on NYC transit.
Just last night – crowded uptown 1 train at 5:30 – someone insisted on shoving their bike into the crowd.
I know they probably have a right to – but it did make it tough to navigate out the door when I arrived at my stop.
The cops have become good enough at writing tickets to people who move between subway cars lately. Why not enact an ordinance that makes it illegal to GIVE to any panhandler or performer on the subway and let the transit cops write tickets? Their motivation for enforcing it is the quota of transit related fines they have to dish out every month and solve the problem at the source.
For me, #1 would be people who use the platform emergency gates when they don’t need to, setting off the alarm in the ears of everyone following them.
I agree with 3 and 4, but notice that’s often done by tourists. One young male tourist shoved his way onto a very crowded train as people attempted to exit. We all yelled, “Let people off!” but he’s lucky that no one confronted him.
My greatest gripes:
1. Smartphone users unaware of their environment. Awareness is important in crowded spaces.
2. Rushers running and bumping people to get to the train. The next train is coming, folks. I was almost knocked onto the tracks by a runner/pusher. I’m short, so it’s a bit intimidating to see a herd of humans rushing like Godzilla is chasing them.
3. People who look at me, look around and would rather stand or sit elsewhere because I’m black. Yes, this really is an issue. I’ve heard and read about but only recently started noticing it. It strips one of their individuality and groups them although there are no characteristics of menacing demeanor present.
4. Remove your backpack on crowded trains! I remove mine and it’s one of the things I hate about public transportation. But it’s courteous.
5. Offenders of any of the aforementioned offences who get an attitude when kindly asked to be courteous.
I am not a NY native and have been fortunate to live close enough to work that I’ve not needed to use public transportation until getting my new job a couple of years ago. Now I walk home when I can because I cannot stand the NYC subways. My list would be too long.
Oh, and those on the bus who sit in seating for the elderly or disabled for no apparent reason. I’ve seen elderly/disabled people have to walk further back because able-bodied people sat with their earbuds in or with kids. I don’t recall the sign saying that seating area is for parents with kids.
Three questions: What ghetto animals are you talking about, what is your proposal for keeping them off the subways, and how do you imagine that working out?