NYC Subway Sign Campaign Takes Stand Against Rudeness

New York City’s case for some of the world’s most boorish behavior is made every day in its subways: There’s the woman clipping her fingernails, the man slurping an especially pungent dish under a fellow passenger’s nose, and even worse.

Transportation officials are taking a stand against such rudeness with a series of signs in subway cars that would make Miss Manners proud, reminding riders of the most rudimentary etiquette in a tone that’s part shaming, part scolding.

“Clipping? Primping? Everybody wants to look their best, but it’s a subway car, not a restroom,” says one sign, accompanied by an illustration of a passenger squeezed between a primper and a shrapnel-spraying clipper.

Says another: “Offer your seat to an elderly, disabled, or [expectant] person. Not only is it the right thing to do, but you’ll make your grandmother proud.”

This article appeared in print on page 22 of the March 11th, 2015 edition of Hamodia.