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Subway Etiquette: Your Loud Phone Game Is Driving Us Mad
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jun 17, 2014
Modified Jun 17, 2014
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Jun 17, 2014
Modified Jun 17, 2014
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You're on the train, being lulled by the shaky movement and regular background noise you're accustomed to, when suddenly the car fills with the "bleep blop bloops" of some iPhone game. Everyone quickly becomes agitated, scanning the car to pinpoint the source of the maddening noise, but even when the source is found... no one says anything. The beeps keep coming. Eventually, just as you think you're about to lose it Worldstar style, the noise stops. A tear wells up in the corner of your eye. You are safe now.
A tipster sent in the following horror story, with the above video clip (which we've edited for realness)—this all played out on a rush hour 1 train yesterday.
"It finally happened to me today—I had a subway experience I deemed to be Gothamist-worthy. Sadly, it was because of a terrible breach of etiquette.
On a crowded uptown 1 train between 6 and 6:30, the kind lady in my video started playing a game with the LOUDEST and most ANNOYING clicking/chirping sounds, for about 4 stops.
I asked the guy next to me, 'doesn't she hear that?,' and he shrugged. I shot her evil looks, but she pretended not to notice my glare. I was hesitant to say anything, lest she be hearing impaired or corresponding with someone who was. However, she heard her subway stop and got off. (And someone confirmed it was a game she was playing)
Turns out everyone around her was ready to kill her, and we all started talking. The upside to this story? I bonded with my fellow straphangers. I also told them, with a somewhat evil smile, that I had video taped her and was planning on sending the movie to Gothamist. More bonding, and love all around..."
At least it wasn't an army of children with recorders? But hey guys, if you're old enough to have an iPhone, you're old enough to know that if you can hear the noise it is making, so can others. So cut it out, you're driving everyone crazy.
Tagged
noise
subway
subway etiquette
original
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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