Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

 

 

Arts & Entertainment

Woman Comically Breaks Subway Etiquette Law With Banana Peel


By

Jen Carlson

Published Feb 15, 2013

Modified Feb 15, 2013


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 .


By

Jen Carlson

Published Feb 15, 2013

Modified Feb 15, 2013


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

How about a round of applause for this self-absorbed straphanger and the delightful devil-may-care attitude plastered on her face on this morning's commute, during which she occupied coveted seating space with her baggage and food remnants. This still-life, depicting a Seriously Self-Important New York Businesswoman And Her Junk, seems almost too perfect, as if she curated the whole tableau last night as she was falling asleep...

"No, no no, the bag's been done before! It needs something else. Something playful. Keep the bag, but... add this banana. No, JUST the peel. It's perfect... equal parts Groucho Marx and Giovanna Garzoni. Of course, the subtle slapstick will no doubt go over my fellow straphangers' heads, and someone will take a photo and post it on the internet, creating my own cult of condemnation in the comments section... but this is the price I pay for my art."

Or maybe she's just consumed by her own selfishness and blissfully unaware that on this morning's uptown 5 train, commuters were standing as her banana peel rested peacefully on the last would-be open seat. The tipster who sent this photo in tells us:

"Saw this woman on the uptown 5 this morning at around 9:15 a.m. She had set up a cozy little corner for herself and was eating a banana... The banana was taking up the last open seat [and] leaving a smear of banana stuff all over for the next commuter to sit on."

It doesn't come up often, but food smearing is one of the worst subway etiquette offenses.

Tagged

banana peel

etiquette

still life with subway etiquette

subway etiquette


Jen Carlson

Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

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 at 12:55 p.m. ET


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 .