Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Friendly Reminder To Try Your Best Not To Watch Porn On The Subway
By
Miranda Katz
Published Apr 2, 2016
Modified Apr 2, 2016
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 .
Tipster
By
Miranda Katz
Published Apr 2, 2016
Modified Apr 2, 2016
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
When it comes to subway etiquette, some rules are clearer than others: for example, shaving your head on a crowded C train is a clear no-no, while watching a feature film sans headphones may be slightly more up for debate. And true, the line between feature film and pornography can be a bit blurry sometimes—but just to be on the safe side, maybe wait to watch your erotic videos until you get home, lest you incite the wrath of a Gothamist tipster.
We got this tip from a female subway rider who wished to remain anonymous, who said that she was on a Manhattan-bound 4 train in the Bronx early this afternoon when she noticed this man (the one wearing glasses) watching an X-rated video on his phone.
"The video was of someone getting a massage and from what I can tell, it really quickly got oily and pornographic," she told us. "When I first looked up, the video was pretty clearly of someone laying down and getting a massage, and I remember thinking 'what a weird thing to watch, oh fuck, is this going to turn into porn?' And then sure enough, whatever towel/shorts situation was happening over the person's lower body got pushed down and it totally turned into weird oily massage porn."
She said it seemed like the guy wanted other people to see his screen. He "wasn't even watching, but was holding it in a way that he was trying to get other people to see it," and he reportedly kept glancing around to see if anyone had notice. But she said that no one else on the train did appear to notice, perhaps because, to his credit, he either had the volume down or off completely.
The woman who noticed got off the train shortly after realizing what was going on, but says that by the time the train had reached 125th Street, he'd put the video away. She reported the incident to the MTA, which has previously stated that watching porn on the subway violates its code of conduct and encourages passengers to report such incidents to the MTA, the police, or 511. The MTA didn't respond to request for comment on this particular incident.
"I know it's not quite the same as a subway masturbator, but it still seemed pretty gross—if not illegal, very bad subway etiquette—especially since from his position he was clearly trying to get other unknowing people to watch it," she told us, adding, "At least the guy himself kept his pants on?"
Indeed—it could have been worse.
Tagged
MTA
pornography
subway
subway etiquette
original
Miranda Katz
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Judge temporarily halts overnight construction at NYC’s Chinatown jail
The order comes after Chinatown residents sued the city over noise, health concerns and years of planned after-hours construction.
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Oct 26, 2026 at 7:08 p.m. ET
Pressure grows on Mamdani to reform admissions to NYC specialized high schools
A former top-school official will join councilmembers and other prominent educators at an event focused on specialized high schools.
By
Elizabeth Kim
News
Pressure grows on Mamdani to reform admissions to NYC specialized high schools
A former top-school official will join councilmembers and other prominent educators at an event focused on specialized high schools.
By
Elizabeth Kim
Police search for man in Central Park sexual assault
By
Charles Lane
Rockefeller Center's 2026 Christmas tree is a 76-foot spruce from Upstate New York
By
Giulia Heyward
‘A killer cop lives here’: Brooklyn arrests raise questions about limits of free speech
By
Ben Feuerherd
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 .