Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

 

 

Arts & Entertainment

Video: Is It Gross To Floss On The Subway?

By

Ben Yakas

Published Nov 30, 2012

Modified Nov 30, 2012

Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail

Never miss a story

 Email address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .

The offending flosser, and his newspaper

 

Jamie

By

Ben Yakas

Published Nov 30, 2012

Modified Nov 30, 2012

Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail

We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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.

Read more

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

MORE arts-entertainment

Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.

Independent booksellers are grappling with whether the big-box chain is a threat or an ally in the fight against Amazon.

By

Sonia Rao

Published Oct 16, 2026

Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?

We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.

By

Elizabeth Shwe

and

James Ramsay

Arts & Entertainment

Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?

We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.

By

Elizabeth Shwe

and

James Ramsay

How the NYC Marathon has changed in the last 50 years

By

Hannah Frishberg

A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson

By

Sonia Rao

The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?

By

Lindsay Lee Wallace

Never miss a story

Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.

Sign upEmail address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .