Artist Promotes ‘Subway Etiquette’ With Guerrilla Campaign
Riding the subway in NYC is cheap, efficient, and often, highly irritating. It’s like a concentration of the most inconsiderate and rude people know to man, but hopefully one graphic designing prankster can help. Artist Jay Shells informed us of his ‘Subway Etiquette’ poster campaign:
I surveyed 100 people on their top pet-peeves (not service related) while riding the Subway. I narrowed the results down to the top ten most occurring issues and rewrote them as a sort of list of rules. I designed posters in the style of the Service Changes posters we see everyday and silkscreened about 40 of each (400 total) and am currently putting them up on trains throughout the city, throughout this week. I encourage people to look out for them, and to take them before the MTA does.
UPDATE: The campaign has begun!
Editor-in-Chief:
Where's the graffiti etiquette poster, the one about telling attention hungry starving artists putting up "guerrilla" style unauthorized posters in public places?
where are the haters who post garbage talk on blogs?
oh, right here. keep your angry fingers off your keyboard and on the paint.
Dude, I really hope I get one of these posters!! Totally gonna ride the train all week in hopes of spotting one. Put a few on the 6 train =)
I support, I think this is a brilliant idea. Haters gonna hate.
Please put one up about spreading your legs too wide and taking up 3 seats. Please, I can't stand another drunk asshole's leg touching mine as I take up half a seat.
@Toots: Agreed!
What about letting people get off the train before you push your way into the car? That's a big one!
meg — that one exists too. i saw it up in my station this morning (14th & 8th ACE).
i'll take a photo if i see it again and send in.
Please make one about not kissing so loudly that is sounds like two fish slapping together. The quarters are too close and no one cares how horny you two are.
How about people that go to the turnstiles and then take rifle around their bags for their metrocards. Have them ready folks or move out of the way for those of us who actually have the common courtesy to do so!
Hernjabi is a douchebag, but you all knew that already. This is awesome and I applaud you! And third the request for a “no spread-legs seat hoggers” sign.
and yes – you can be too fat to feel entitled to a seat.
The subway/train system is still pretty new to L.A., so I’ve been less surprised that people seem to be unaware of basic train/public transportation etiquette. However, this does not excuse travelers who perpetrate the above transgressions, don’t rules like this ultimately fall under the “common sense” category?
Also:
- No Farting Around Other People. Wait until you are in an area by yourself or a bathroom, you swine.
- Don’t Expect Other Riders To Babysit Your Children. Keep an eye on them yourself, try to keep them from throwing a temper tantrum, and teach them to respect the space and property of strangers.
- Let People Get Off The Train Before You Try To Get On. Don’t be an asshole, Pushy McShovey.
For us on the elevated lines a major annoyance are those chirping Boost Mobile/Nextel-like phones. Not only the intermittent beeps, but the exclusive use of speakerphones to hold said conversation.
Check out Violation Report .com, a place where you can report violations of etiquette in public places with your camera or phone.
i officially LOVE this guy – BRAVO!!!
i really DO hate those people who eat smelly/greasy food (RIBS! FRIEND CHICKEN!) on the subways like they’re in their living room… ew!
I have braved some serious attitude tossed my way in order to tell people to lower the volume on their iPods. Wish I could find “Staircase” and “Noise Pollution” at theProspect Avenue station in BKLYN near the front of the train near those video monitors– which transmit to nowhere and no one.
The garbage one is spot-on except for one thing: you can’t NOT recycle on the NYC subway. The city sorts the trash. There are no separate recycling receptacles, but recyclables are removed. http://www.mta.info/nyct/facts/video/NY1.wmv
People who lean up against the poles (with their back to it) drive me fucking crazy. It's inevitable that about twice a week or so, I will be trying to hold the pole and some idiot will decide to have a nice relaxing ride leaning up against it – crushing my fingers in the process. This would not be so bad in and of itself if most people stopped doing it when they can see that other people are trying to hold onto the pole, but that is generally not the case – they will go the entire ride leaning up against your fingers if you let them.
Also annoying to me are the "pole shredders" – people who are quite obviously practicing their guitar/bass fingerings on the pole with headphones in. Yes, we get it. You play the guitar. Awesome for you.
Jayshells – Please, please add these…."Dont put your hole on the pole!" They lean against the poles and hold on with their butt cheeks! Gross. And, my favorite "If you cant fit, DONT SIT!" You know how big you are. You know how much room is in the seat. Its basic, really.
These are wonderful, though too wordy. Also, they have to be in other languages, notably Spanish, Russian, and Chinese.
It is all about a lack of respect…nobody thinks they are too important and does not give a rats a$$ about anyone else. No respect. Sickening, isn't it?
How about: "No, shiftless-looking teenager, I will *not* let you use my MetroCard. Buy your own damn card."
Excellent idea; execution needs some work. The posters are too wordy! Think advertising. Short. Succint. Maybe people will actually read them.
example:
Trash:
Don't be a piggy.
Carry In. Carry out.
I thinik "body odor" should be added to the Hygiene poster.
I want to live in a world where it is socially acceptable to tell someone to turn down his or her ipod. Kudos, posterman.
Stephen obviously you don't have kids! That's stupid to say you were once one you know and I'm sure your mother carried your whiny ass on planes, trains and public places. Get over it! I agree that some parent's are negligent but a ban is retarded like you!
@ stephen – why shouldn't a mom bring a stroller on the train, some people need a method of transporting their child BEFORE AND AFTER they get on or off the train. Nobody asked you to help the poor lady down the stairs with the stroller but a mom has every right to leave her house to go somewhere if she needs to.
You're also probably that asshole that doesn't let the old lady/man or pregnant woman have a seat on the train.
Chewing Gum
Please do not dispose of your gum under the seat or on the platform. Do not show me
the gum you are chewing.
Remember, the gum under your seat has already been chewed. There's some
really excellent sanitary reasons why re-chewing is a bad idea.
The gum under your seat has already been chewed. There's no practical reason
for rechewing. It's been placed there by previous masticators for disposal.
No Bikes – If you have one how about riding it instead of clogging up the train and shredding ppl's clothing with the greasy chain.
love this idea. hope i catch a glimpse of some of these.
I love it, but it should be ‘altogether,’ not ‘all together.’ Just, you know, FYI.
And how about pull up your pants! I do not want to see your sorry ass, ass.
Chewing gum (and possibly noise pollution) (part 2)
I don't know about anyone else, but I cringe (sometimes with fright, but mostly with sheer frustration) when I hear someone pop, smack, or crack their gum. No one needs those noises added to their commute's soundtrack.
I am curious to know why people feel compelled to do it. If it is for attention, I'd rather you ask for it up front.
How about people who wear huge backpacks on crowded trains, knocking into everyone they pass? Just take the damn thing off and hold it in your hand so you're not assaulting everyone around you!
Also, people who, when exiting the train, hold on to the pole until the last possible second. Um, the train is at a stop. It's not moving. You're getting out. Why are you still holding on to the pole and delaying my exit?? Drives me nuts.
But the extra-loud iPods are by far my biggest pet peeve on the train. (Although people congregating by the doors during rush hour so no one else can fit is an extremely close second.)
Love the preachy sign that tells me where I shouldn’t be preaching.
Children & strollers – i know someone already mentioned not assuming others will babysit your kids, but what we really need is a NO STROLLERS ALLOWED on the subway system. Or atleast, for people to use strollers that don’t feel like they take up the entire area on the car when you first get on. Have you seen how massive some of these are? 4-seaters?! Is that really necessary on a train?! PLEASE! And don’t look at me like I should help carry that heavy ass crutch of yours while it’s your fault for struggling to get it up the stairs in the first place lady. I’m all for being kind and courteous to others, but not if they intentionally put themselves in the position of expecting you to be that way. BAN STROLLERS (also there should be a fine for children under 3yo traveling on planes).
I can't believe nail clipping was on the top 10 most occurring list. Bleh.
i posted this on a message boardin september of 2008.
People that take up more than one seat with their shite.
people who put their feet-their city walking shoes-on top of the seat
parents who dont know how to discipline their kids and thus have no control of them
people carrying on extensive, loud conversations on their cell phones at those points the subway may come above ground
people carrying on extensive, loud conversations in general
People who try and get on before others can get off.
People that hold the doors.
People who litter.
People who eat on the subway. (this is nitpicking but often the odor sucks, and just the idea of it is often gross)
People who have grotesque hygiene, often the daily public display of nose-picking by chinese people, but not exclusively. And the Hasidic Jewish guys who illogically wears black and a hundred layers in the middle of summer, gracing the rest of us with his resulting wonderful body odor, as I’m pressed up against him in a packed car.
beggers, peddlers, and that guy who only knows how to play Knocking On Heavens Door. Sometimes some guy selling batteries, some loony preaching the bible, or some black kids saying they are raising money for their school basketball team with the stolen box of Reeces they have in their hand, etc.
People that help condone the last one’s behavior by giving those people money.
How many of you (commentors so far) have lived in NYC for at least the last 40 years? My city has been ruined by this sort of thing already. The trains are the only thing that real new yorkers have left. WE LIKE OUR TRAINS FULL OF LOUD PUSHY PEOPLE WHO SMELL AND PLAY LOUD MUSIC! YOU FUCKERS! THIS IS WHAT GIVES NYC ITS GODDAM EDGE. You want a nice ride on the choo choo where people are polite and kind to one another?? Go back to Mayberry motherfuckers, Please.. Youve already emasculated this city enough.
good one about getting out your metrocards before you get to the turnstile.
my favorites are the stairs and letting people out. i hate people that meander up the stairs and block the whole stairway when you are rushing down to catch a train. obviously you have nowhere to go but i’d like to get on.
This is brilliant.
Would have been great to see one addressing those who feel the need to flash their “privates” to passengers. If I wanted to see someone’s Co@k, I would simply ask.
hey, what about people with their books? if you can't go a few minutes without reading a stupid book, why don't you just go to the library and read?
I love you. Marry me?
Also: I can't believe "feet on seats" or "taking up more than one seat" didn't make it into the Top 10! I know they're in mine. Keep up the great work. I only hope that people get the message(s) and reconsider their selfish and deplorable actions.
how about someone standing close to you clearing their teeth. Making that noise by blowing air through their teeth. You stand their wondering if your going to get hit with a morsel of food that was previously lodged between someone's teeth for the past few hours.
Oh my God! These are great! They put into words what so many of us think and feel every day. You missed one. For those of us who ride the elevated trains – PLEASE – if you must talk on the cell phone, make it short. We don’t need or want to hear all of the intimate details of your life or the gossip about your acquaintances. You don’t need to use the phone simply because you have a signal.
public transport and public space is what defines a city.
how about just friendlier public transport where you can talk to people, strangers and crazies. wouldn’t mind some feedback on a work i’m doing about getting people to talk to others.
http://priorityseat.wordpress.com/
My father is an angry man. Hernjabi kicked me out of the house when I wouldn’t go into the family rodent extermination business. I’m a dancer not a killer!
This is the best most useful art I have seen…all my thoughts down on paper. As a full time working 7 month along preggo, I really resent none of you perfectly able-bodied or you fat people, who should be standing up more, giving up your seat for a few minutes, or better yet, the a-hole guy who stepped on my feet to run ahead and grab the last seat? What a man! As far as the other a-hole who wants to "ban strollers" I guess you don't believe in perpetuating the human race or perhaps you are another Williamsburg trust fund hipster who will be young forever. Good luck with real life jerk-off! My hats off to this artist who is trying to bring a little humanity back to an inhumane city.
Thank you for doing this, The MTA should print 4000 and put them up everywhere. Maybe even in other languages. I agree it is awesome.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for doing this ad campaign!
How about one like:
Not everyone thinks your kids are cute. Not everyone appreciates the sound of your kid screaming on a subway ride…
Why do people use the emergency exit gates to leave the station instead of using the turnstiles like you’re supposed to?
I wouldn’t mind if the gates didn’t trigger those awful alarms that do nothing except cause noise pollution. Whose idea was it to put those useless alarms in?
Good project. I’m surprised Big Ball Syndrome didn’t make the list. Seriously dudes, are your balls really so enormous that your only option is to sit with your legs spread so wide you take up 3 seats?
Can you arrange for these to be placed on Metro North trains as well?
A San Francisco MUNI edition would be greatly appreciated.
These notices are unfortunately applicable to most subways in most countries.
A little drawing / logo with each notice would have made them stand out even more.
They should throw you a ticker tape parade down 5th avenue for this public service.
Painting your nails. Is not acceptable on public transportation.
i find all of the topics covered in the guerrilla campaign more annoying than panhandling, about which the mta posts etiquette messages. they should officially adopt jay shells' posters!
I'm so happy to have found this – as a daily commuter I love this campaign and the work. BTW: I'm living in Germany and we have the same problems here …
You should make another 360 and post a few in each train car along the 7 line.
Absolutely GENIUS!
I haven't seen any of them around. Where can I spot some?
@stephen, you are an ignorant ass hole. You can't put small children into taxis because there are no car seats. You can't take them onto busses because there are no car seats. It is really expensive to buy a car and impossible to drive or park in NYC unless you are uber rich. Some of us don't live within walking distance of pre-school or have ex-husbands on the other side of town. You are essentially advocating banning mothers and small children from TRAVELING. The real solution is that Subways should be handicap accessible–this would allow women with strollers to travel without begging strangers for help up and down the stairs (or doing what I do, which is fold the stroller before I go down stairs and pick up the kid–very difficult to do, and usually causes the kid to start crying).
Also, stop glaring at and shaming the women you see on subways with strollers. A lot of these women are nannies following instructions who have absolutely no choice in the matter.
Jay, THANK YOU!
This is brilliant. I truly hope to see a change very soon in the riders' social behavior while using public spaces and transportation.
I think all 10 tips are great notes, well written, short and easily comprehensible. However, the best poster among all is 'Entering the Train'.
People really need to be aware of their surrounding and respect the presence of others while using a public space -and this goes for all of us! It is highly disrespectful and rude to not to move and open some space for others to enter the subway, especially during peak time hours when we all are in rush to get to a destination. Common courtesy.
The use of public transportation, especially subways, would be significantly less frustrating and better experience if we can manage to modify our social behavior in a positive way and implement these Subway Etiquette notes. Considering MTA's shortfalls and ignorance for providing decent, respective, and functional services.
@Emily
Well said. I not a father yet (and probably wont be anytime soon) but you have all rights to complain about this matter and expect FUNCTIONAL services to be provided.
@stephen
…"I’m all for being kind and courteous to others". Well, your comment says otherwise mister kindhearted. Subways, buses, planes,….ALL public transportation and public spaces should be accessible and usable for ALL USER GROUPS. That's why they named it "public", which seems like you need to redefine the meaning of this word in your dictionary. Maybe, if you feel so violated and irritated by others, you should start walking or using cabs for your commute. At least you will get to your destination a lot more relaxed and people wont have to deal with your beautiful attitude while riding the subway with you.
PUBLIC transportation people, PUBLIC. It means 'everyone' has a right to use it, properly, without disrespecting others. If you really feel violated in any way, inform the police officers or train conductors; that's what they are there for.
Absolutely brilliant. The MTA should buy this campaign from the artist and put these on every train and at every station. Jay may consider himself an artist, but this goes way beyond art: it is much needed public service from a socially conscious, really good man in a world that has become grossly full of self-absorbed egomaniacs and idiots. To the blogger who insisted New York needs an edge: we have all the edge we can stand. We need some civility reintroduced into our society.
I'm a huge fan of the concept and the design of this. I would love it more if the tone weren't condescending. If you want people to listen to you, you can't talk to them that way. But I do think it's a step in the right direction.
I really like this idea (don't we all, at least partly?), but its passive-aggressive nature also kind of depresses me at the same time. I'm admittedly being hypocritical (and very idealistic), b/c I know I myself tend to shut my mouth when I'd like to tell someone that their behavior is inappropriate, but I still think it's a shame that we're not capable of communicating with each other in a public space, face to face, to address a problem.
If we were more accustomed to speaking to strangers this sort of situation wouldn't have to be confrontational. But in most urban cultures we're so used to walking around with a space bubble and an immaterial, but very rigid, barrier that we create by our general indifference to everyone around us, that we avoid talking to strangers like the plague and when a stranger talks to us we often don't know how to react and when we'd like to say something to someone we usually don't dare.
Most of the perpetrators of the incivilities we bemoan probably won't heed or even read these posters. So, enjoy the guerilla art, but don't expect anybody's behavior to change. At best, when you let somebody know that what they're doing bothers you, you might be able to use the poster to back you up ("look I'm following the rules around here", lol), but otherwise they're just funny group therapy for those of us who bite our tongues and let other peoples' behavior eat us up. (if you think people aren't bitter about incivilities all you have to do is read the peoples' comments – especially the salty character spewing stereotypes like how black kids sell stolen candy bars -wtf man?)
I think most people know the social norms that they transgress when they do silly/gross/annoying things in the Subway. So, even though a reminder in the form of a funny, yet direct, poster sounds like a nice idea, it remains an anonymous message that's really easy to ignore. But when you actually politely tell someone that their behavior is bothering you, personally, that seems a lot more powerful to me. If after that they don't change their behavior, then you have a right to be angry, but hopefully your fellow passengers will wake up from their "subway state of mind" and back you up. You know, like humans do.
All this talking to strangers sounds like a lot of extra work, right? Like, "man, why do I have the burden of teaching these social fuck-ups how to act in public, didn't their parents, etc. teach them anything??" Come on now, haven't you ever committed any of these incivilities ever before yourself? You've never once in your life spoken loudly on the subway? Well even if your perfect, it still seems to me that we would waste less time and emotions if we dealt with the problem directly, by addressing the bad behavior when it occurs, then by staying mad about it inside.
But, as far as nose picking and bodily functions go, those are a bit more difficult to deal with in a direct manner – even a friendly reminder to your guilty neighbor could cause him/her to lose face. So I guess the posters are good for that…
Anyways, en guise de conclusion, at least the posters are funny.
I wouldn't mind seeing them crop up on the Paris metro.
Terrific! Glad to know I'm not the only one out there who feels that so many subway riders are completely oblivious and so inconsiderate (many, not all). These are great reminders that we share space in this great citdyi and should be more considerate of others. Thanks for putting my pet peeves into an articulate and artistic form. Hope it makes a few more people sit up/stand up and take notice – especially the ones clipping their finger nails in public (yuck!)
Love the concept, but the execution is lacking. Could have been much funnier. Instead, you come off very dorky and boring.
i scored a hygiene one today #32/36. people looked at me weird when i got off the car and ripped it down, only to enter again.
oh yeah it was on the F line, at 2nd ave
A request for a Boston edition…
http://www.universalhub.com/2010/cant-lady-clip-h…
may i please have a few dozen sets of these and i will post them eveyday in stations. it is sad how most peolple do no even realize they are being so inconsiderate. Best wake up call ever!
How about the:"EXCUSE ME LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I DON'T MEAN TO DISRUPT YOUR AFTERNOON BUT…(Insert B.S here) people? Ugh I could totally go without hearing about your dead hampster for whom you are now trying to collect enough money for a funeral. save it.
Bravo! I love the execution and agree that a backpack one should be issued, as well as translations into Chinese. This kind of art is a real gem — it's the best thing to be surprised by during a normally dreary ride. I actually appreciate the "long form" format. Well done, and keep it up!
It's true — that nail clipping noise you can hear from straight across an entire train is like water torture.
I used to live in Manhattan and remember the faux official stickers (from 2002?) that instead of featuring the "No eating, no loud music, no smoking" or whatever had "No bombs, be kind, love life" or something of the sort.
Couldn't you have created PDFs instead of using snapshots?
How about one that says "Disregard Government fear-mongering at all times. Ignore 'Big Brother' announcements that threaten to trump your 4th amendment rights."
Every time I hear that my backpack is "subject to random search by the police" I'm going to start reciting the 4th amendment at a very high volume. Then you guys can make a sign about that and whine about it on the internet. You're all pathetic. I'm going to stop by popeyes on my way home.
You choose to live in a clusterfuck, you deal with living in a clusterfuck. You statistic.
I don't know, some of those "excuse me" types are ok. Well, one of them – he serenaded specific cute girls on the train, and solicited change by stating that he wasn't homeless YET and would we please support his dream. Very charming.
Re: people pushing into the train as people are trying to exit – in some areas, people exit on one side and enter on the other – might explain why people enter the train before all have exited. OR they're pushed during rush hour. So don't let that ruin your day; a few seconds here and there aren't that bad.
Everybody – RELAX.
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That's so very cool. I hate when people do most of this stuff. I don't care if you eat or drink but the rest of the stuff….cut it the hell out!
John Foglesong sent me the link for this and told me to have a look. Is he a personal friend of yours? I hope this is the right site.