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Video: Is It Gross To Floss On The Subway?
By
Ben Yakas
Published Nov 30, 2012
Modified Nov 30, 2012
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Jamie
By
Ben Yakas
Published Nov 30, 2012
Modified Nov 30, 2012
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As subway etiquette aficionados, we're inundated with all kinds of gross and rude subway behavior, from pole huggers to spaghetti munchers to shoe lickers. But this is the first time we've seen a complaint about flossing: tipster "Jamie" spotted the man in the video below taking advantage of a plastic floss pick on a downtown C Train this morning. She says he wiped it "on his newspaper, continuing to both floss and read the newspaper. I was appalled and afraid some "stuff" would flick off on me." Experience what she felt with the IMAX-esque video below—you can practically feel the particles of half-eaten food being flung all around.
Subway Floss Video from Gothamist on Vimeo.
At least he was wiping it on a NY Post. We're torn on this one: even monkeys have to floss their teeth sometimes! And as many Gothamist staffers noted, at least he was using a pick and not dental tape. But as with most subway etiquette things, the question is: why couldn't he have flossed at home, BEFORE he was in a public space? Even if it isn't the grossest thing we've seen, we were always taught that it was rude to floss in front of other people under any circumstance.
So, would you be appalled by someone flossing on the subway next to you? Or is this a non-issue compared to that maddening nail clipping sound?
Tagged
floss
flossing
gross
subway
subway etiquette
train
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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