Though he has already been applauded by the masses, I feel that Jason Shelowitz and I are very much kindred souls. Schelowitz is the artist behind the subway etiquette signs. If you have not been fortunate to see one of his MTA-esque signs encouraging proper behavior while using mass transit, then keep your eyes peeled. The artist has risked $25 fines for illegal poster postage to bring awareness to subway annoyances that have become all too commonplace: physical contact, hygiene, garbage disposal, nail-clipping, disregard of seating priority, religion, noise pollution, eating and subway stair etiquette.
Though I will resist the urge to elaborate on the offenses mentioned above, one subway trend has developed this month and it is completely absurd: eating chicken wings on the subway. First, I don’t understand how people eat on the subway while surrounded by coughing and hygienically questionable passengers, but until MTA bans subway eating like in D.C. this problem will persist. Then, should you choose to eat on the subway, why would you choose a messily involved food like chicken wings?! I barely eat chicken wings in the company of my friends, and never on a date, for fear of smearing sauce from ear-to-ear and looking like damn fool. And please, sir, go ahead and discard your chicken wing bones on the ground and use your buffalo- ranch-sauced paws to hold the communal pole and bring yourself to stand so that I may then hold on to the same pole and lotionize my hands with the condiments from your disgusting meal. (This rant was really only intended to address eating on the subway, but looks as though I’ve touched on garbage disposal, physical contact and hygiene also! Bonus.)
A well deserved nod, Shelowitz, and I hope the publicity makes your other art exhibit wildly successful.
