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Subway Etiquette 101: Please Don't Hug The Pole
By
Jen Carlson
Published Mar 15, 2012
Modified Mar 15, 2012
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Mar 15, 2012
Modified Mar 15, 2012
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Trend alert: light-washed denim jackets! (Photo by Jen Carlson/Gothamist)
We never thought we'd have to write this for a first time, or a second time, nevermind a third time—because isn't it common sense that you should not hug a pole on a crowded subway? Can't the NYPD crack down on these people? But last night it happened to us (don't worry, we survived)—below is our story. For accuracy's sake, we will be referring to ourselves as "Our Hero."
Last night around 6:30 p.m. we boarded a fairly crowded F train at Broadway/Lafayette—there were no seats, and there were people at all of the poles and against the doors, so Our Hero went to grab the pole that you see this young woman making love to. She didn't move an inch as she saw Our Hero searching for a place to grab the pole, and didn't flinch as our hand squeezed into a spot where her head and shoulder left a gap. Luckily, someone departed the subway leaving an empty seat, which allowed Our Hero to surreptitiously snap this photo of the offender, even though Our Hero usually feels really weird about doing that. Okay, we have reached the end of the story. And now, the lesson...
Just as you shouldn't take up more than one seat on a crowded subway, you shouldn't take up more than one hand placement on a subway pole... and it goes without saying that using the pole as a back-scratcher is also unacceptable.
Photo by Katie Sokoler/Gothamist
Tagged
etiquette
hugging the pole
subway
subway etiquette
subway hogging
subway hugging
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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