By now, you've likely noticed that we are sticklers for subway etiquette. And we generally believe that when in doubt, you probably shouldn't do it in public—like when it comes to clipping your nails. But here's a situation we're not 100% sure about: tipster Allison Lucas sent us the above photo of a cop who was clipping his nails while apparently on-duty at the Times Square train station yesterday morning. And he kept doing so even as he was approached by people for help.
Here's her account:
I was walking through the Times Square train station this morning, and I heard the unmistakeable sound of nail clippers reverberating off the walls. I have never understood why people think it's a good idea to clip their nails in public. I've noticed that trains and busses are popular places to bust out a nail clipper and go to town. WHY?? I know I'm not the only one who thinks this is gross—or at the very least, weird. Anyway, when I looked to see where the sounds were coming from, the offender was...... an on-duty cop, positioned near an exit, ready to hear you say something if you see something. It might not sound all that strange, but trust me—it was plenty strange. He kept clipping even when people (tourists?) stopped to ask him for directions. New York's bravest!
So does that cross a hygiene line? He is carelessly discarding pieces of himself all around the station, which is gross; but it is still undoubtedly better than the people who are peeing in hidden corners. But at the end of the day, this is about clearly delineating lines in the sand, and encouraging people to keep certain behaviors in the private sphere. This may not be the grossest thing ever, but couldn't the cop wait till he gets home that night to clip? Doesn't it seem wrong that a cop can't stop clipping his nails long enough to pay full attention to someone asking for help?
Or maybe he was just a member of the elite Mani Unit. Tell us what you think below:
