The universal subway etiquette guide
New York Magazine printed this great photo montage (by Peter Rad) last month. Here's the key to the photo:
Rules of the underground: (1) Knees may be no more than six inches apart. (2) If you can't control your offspring, watch as a stranger does it for you. (3) What did we say about checking out the girls? (4) The Post is only 25 cents—buy your own. (5) Holding the subway door makes everyone on the train love you. (6) As does loud music. (7) Lie down on subway only if dead.
Read the Urban Etiquette Handbook here.
Via The Indignant Citizen. And Mr. Indignant notes frequent Tattler contributor Tom Sherman's short post on the subject.
(1) through (7) in that photo aren't so bad...look at all that standing room!
Posted by: Anonymous | July 28, 2006 at 08:26 AM
The Trib or Sun Times is 50 cents, but CTA riders could at least use the blue boxes on the platform when done with them, instead of leaving them on the cars.
Also, #1 would be different, if the riders next to the one with the #1 legend were doing it, but would put more pressure on #3. What's wrong with #3, so long as there is no assault or harrassment?
Posted by: jackonthebus | July 28, 2006 at 02:49 PM
8) Don't eat smelly food on the train
9) loud music? Media playing is NOT permitted
10) Take a bath BEFORE getting on train
11) Watch your purses, wallets and trains while on and off the train
12) BRUSH your teeth...floss them too.
13) Wear clean clothes.
14) If you wear clothing that notable, you WILL be noticed by someone.
15) Step aside for people getting on/off.
16) The train is NOT a garbage bin....take your trash with you.
Posted by: transitman | July 28, 2006 at 05:10 PM
Addendum to No. 12:
"Brush your teeth...floss them too" BEFORE getting on the train.
Posted by: LAC | July 28, 2006 at 10:50 PM
17)Talk with your indoor voice while on the cell phone. If you don't want everybody to hear your personal business, wait until you get off the train/bus to tell your business.
Posted by: cmama | July 29, 2006 at 12:43 AM
Regarding rule number 1:
Overheard In New York
(A little crude, but not profane.)
In case the link doesn't show up: http://www.overheardinnewyork.com/archives/006476.html
Posted by: Vasyl | July 29, 2006 at 11:31 AM
let's see, i see nothing wrong with #3 (the guy's just standing there -- so what if he's looking at other passengers?), #4 (what, he has no reading material...of course, you'd be amazed at how many people constantly move their paper around, making it unreadable, if you're trying to read something on it -- just goes to show you that they're not really reading it, either), and #6 (she has headphones on, for christ's sake -- that must be pretty goddamn loud)...
and, regarding #5 -- wow, so the doors had to stay open an extra 10 seconds so some poor soul could get on the train that was right there in the station...good lord, you're gonna be late now! i don't understand why it's so bad for the train to stay a few extra moments so someone that just made it to the platform can actually board the train that's sitting right there..
Posted by: Joe Blow | July 30, 2006 at 09:02 AM
The dead guy cracks me up.
Posted by: T. Taylor | July 31, 2006 at 11:25 AM
I'll add two: People who stand in the aisle even when seats are available, blocking people trying to reach the doors, and people who bring on bikes during the CTA's prohibited (rush) hours.
Posted by: Bob S. | August 02, 2006 at 03:05 PM
I'll add some too...don't sit in the aisle seat and put your junk in the window seat just because you don't want anyone sitting next to you...oh and for the love of humanity PLEASE don't push and shove like a child to be the first on the train/bus!
Posted by: LadyDay | August 02, 2006 at 03:50 PM
Two more for the idiots who delayed my commute substantially last night:
1) There's no way to be surprised that you need a CTA card or pass when you reach the turnstiles. Have your card or pass ready when you reach the turnstiles. If for some inconceivable reason you had no idea that you would soon need your card or pass, and you need to dig out your card or pass when you reach the turnstiles, don't stand in front of the turnstiles, blocking sentient life from using them.
(Last night a young couple somehow managed to block three of the four turnstiles closest to the northbound platform at Grand. Just as a northbound train was arriving.)
2) If you're in a group of three or four people and you're just reaching the bottom of the stairs to the platform when a fairly empty train is in the station during rush hour, and you inexplicably decide not to get on the train and just stand at the mouth of the stairway blocking access to the platform, don't be pissed off at the guy who you heard running behind you hoping to catch the train, especially when he misses it because he slammed into a suddenly immobile person, i.e. you.
(The next train arrived 12 minutes later and was completely packed. After another five minutes, a train arrived that I could squeeze onto. Even finally getting past the dimwits at the turnstiles, I could've made the only-partly-filled train if these young women had even just stepped out of the way rather than block the path. So I got home 20 minutes later than I should have because of these idiots.)
Wish I weren't preaching to the choir here. Chances of the people who need to read this seeing it are probably juuuuuuuust about zero.
Posted by: Bob S. | October 04, 2006 at 10:12 AM