What is it about public transportation that makes otherwise civilized individuals behave badly? Few would consider commuting a pleasant experience but faulting the offensive stench in the metro or cramped, stroller-packed buses as cause for complete disregard for others is only acceptable to a point. All passengers are in the same, stinky boat yet not all of them break rules or ignore widely accepted social norms.
For the last year, The RATP, Paris’s transport authority, has been running an advertising campaign to call offenders out on their unseemly behavior by portraying them as animals (let’s be honest, even papi needs to be reminded he can’t kick back like he’s at home). The campaign is an outgrowth of a study conducted by the RATP to understand why Parisians look and act so disgruntled on public transportation. Again, cue the smells and cramped quarters.
While we could argue that boorish conduct is endemic to public transportation systems in most large cities around the world, few transit authorities devote the energy to raising awareness and curbing infractions through civic education. Bravo, RATP! Your ads have proven both entertaining and affirming. So what should locals (and…
