Tag Archives: etiquette

Everyone wants a cushy seat on the subway. Few people receive the  seat they deserve. Often they are forced to stand in a crowded train, without air conditioning, on a hot summer day. They wonder, “Why am I here?” I won’t pretend to address the more existential aspect of this question, but I will talk about the irritating subway situation.

How one should conduct oneself in a crowded train? You should give up your seat for mothers and children, the elderly and families. Sometimes you should step off the train and let people exit before getting back on yourself. Sometimes you’re lucky enough to get your own seat and not need to give it up. But what do you when there is standing room only on the train?

Look at the space available and adapt to it. This is where a good knowledge of video games, such as Tetris is helpful. Like the “Z” piece, twist your arms in one direction while your legs move in another direction. Or consider tucking in your arms, legs and back and standing straight like “|” in the corner.  Then it could be a decent ride. As people leave the train, you might be lucky enough to stretch your legs in an “L” position while you stand as straight as “|”.

Your fellow citizens love you because you know how to stand on crowded train. They’ll be grateful you’re not falling on them as the train lurches forward, scalding them with their own piping hot coffee. You can tell them you learned this  skill from video games.