

Original photo via imjustsayin's flickr

Lately, more than ever, we've encountered the worst sort of subway etiquette offender: that jerk wearing a backpack on a crowded car. How, in 2011, is this still happening? To the people doing this: your backpack is so clearly in the way, taking up valuable space that human beings could fit in to. Here is a simple, and what we believed was a common sense solution to the problem:

1. Take bag off back.

2. Place bag between legs, or at the very least, against your legs in the front or to the side.

3. Pat yourself on the back, which is no longer blocked by a backpack.

While this grievance didn't make Jayshells' amazing subway etiquette signs, backpacks were addressed in this etiquette poster, which stated:

Subway Etiquette #15: “Backpack Depth, Width, Whatever” When riding the train during rush hours, it is important to remember that there are other people on board as well. Henceforth, it is not appropriate to be wearing a backpack that is holding your week’s worth of laundry and other stuff. Either put it on the ground... or pay for a cab. Backpacks should not be weapons.”

In Paris, the RATP, the state-owned public transport operator, put up public transit etiquette signs, so we contacted the MTA to find out if this is something they'd consider (say, in place of their own "advertisements"). We'll update when we hear back.

If you just learned something from this post... maybe you should also read our backlog of etiquette tips, which spans back years.