Here's Looking at You: Takeaways From Commuter Etiquette Week

By
James Ramsay
and
Shumita Basu
WNYC News | Aug 4, 2017

In an ideal universe, every week on the train would be etiquette week.

But for We the Commuters, this was officially Etiquette Week — because if a main goal of this project is to hold those in charge of your commute accountable, we train riders should at least be held accountable for how we treat each other.

We asked for your subway dos and don'ts, heard some creative twists on classic behavior rules, and started a lively debate about whether it's okay to photograph strangers on the subway.

Here are three key takeaways from Etiquette Week.

1. Stand Clear of the Doors with Speed and Style

When you're waiting on a platform and the train pulls in, there's a very simple order of operations. You stand completely to the side of the doors. Passengers get off. Then you step in. Then you immediately move to the center of the car. We all know it. We've all heard umpteen people say it. But you've never heard it in '90s hip-hop form. Until this week.

 

2. Tuna, Bikes, Porn and Eye Contact: Yes or No?

The answers: No, No, No, Maybe.

If you ever get to wondering whether you're behaving like a jerk on the train, our partners at Gothamist this week published a comprehensive guide to not being a jerk on the train. Bookmark it.

In addition, we spoke with a few comedians about their dos and don'ts when it comes to subway behavior and they shared some insightful opinions.

But perhaps no one was more nuanced than Ophira Eisenberg, the host of NPR's Ask Me Another, who made a bold case for making eye contact with strangers, only to then question her own recommendation.

 

3. Shame! Shame! Shame?

First of all, let's clear up a common misconception: It is legal to take a picture of someone without their permission on the subway, as long as you don't have special film or photography equipment. But should you?

We put out this question earlier in the week and riders flooded us with comments on both sides of the argument. Photographers like Garry Winogrand and Henri Cartier-Bresson have made iconic art using strangers on the train. Great talents have been unearthed. And some people just take pictures of strangers indiscriminately:

But you've used social media. You know why people tend to get photographed on the subway: to be publicly shamed. The general idea is, if you're going to act like a self-centered jerk in public, you forfeit your right to be shown courtesy on the internet.

Or maybe not?

If photo-shaming someone isn't your style, you could always try what Sonnet (and perhaps Ophira) does: Look someone in the eye and tell them to cut it out.

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James Ramsay
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Shumita Basu

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