‘I’m not a bathroom’: BART posters promote etiquette on trains

BART's new etiquette posters were designed by students of California College of the Arts. BART's new etiquette posters were designed by students of California College of the Arts. Photo: Courtesy BART Photo: Courtesy BART Image 1 of / 59 Caption Close ‘I’m not a bathroom’: BART posters promote etiquette on trains 1 / 59 Back to Gallery

BART riders will soon start seeing colorful etiquette reminders on their commute as part of a campaign to prompt people to be courteous — most of which probably fall under the heading of, "Basic things people shouldn't need reminders for."

Partnering with California College of the Arts, BART officials asked students with the school's TBD* Studio to design posters to help curb bad behavior on BART. Speaking with riders, consulting BART staff and observing behavior on trains, the team came up with a line of posters that address the daily commute issues facing those who ride the train daily.

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BART spokeswoman Alicia Trost said in a statement that they were looking for a campaign "that younger generations would relate to."

"We asked the students to come up with something attention grabbing, engaging, honest and playful," Trost said.

Among the etiquette lessons being passed on to riders:

The elevator is not a bathroom

Let pregnant women have a seat

Throw away your trash

Don't tag trains with graffiti

Take off your backpack in crowded trains

"We tried to tackle the challenge of creating something that spoke to the rules without seeming overly authoritative and dry," said student designer Anisha Sachar in a blog post on BART's website.

The posters will be displayed throughout trains and stations starting this month.

"I tell all my students that if your design gets even just one person to think or act differently, then the job was worth it," CCA associate professor Eric Heiman wrote of the project.

Let's hope so: for the sake of the elevators, at least. Take a look at the designs in the gallery above.