When the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey — PATH — are forced to create cartoon posters inside their trains to train riders how to behave in public, we begin to wonder how and why we became such a debased society in need of such basic correction.


Have we lost all our moral character?

Do we live in the bottomless pit of a values-less existence?

The PATH proper behavior poster proves our human mendacity in a damning semiotic that speaks to our ignoble past and our modern, uncouth, ways.

What’s next?  A PATH poster demonstrating we should keep our knives hidden in our pockets and out handguns holstered in our boots?

Will we have a PATH poster dedicated to proper bathing, showering and wearing clean underwear every day?

When the Port Authority is reduced to the nanny role of promoting basic social interaction — instead of making sure the trains run on time — the total fraying of the fabric of society cannot be far behind.

3 Comments

  1. David Boles – New York City – David Boles was born in Nebraska and holds an MFA from the Oscar Hammerstein II Center for Theatre Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York. He is an author, dramatist, editor, publisher, and teacher who writes across the live stage, print, radio, television, film, and the web. With more than 50 books in print, David continues to write 2MM words a year and has authored over 25K articles. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, the Authors Guild, and PEN America, and founded The United Stage advocacy platform on the principle that playwrights have a duty to direct their own work. Read the Prairie Voice Archive at Boles.com | Buy his books at David Boles Books Writing & Publishing at BolesBooks.com | Study with Script Professor at ScriptProfessor.com | Touch American Sign Language mastery at Hardcore ASL at HardcoreASL.com | Explore the Human Meme podcast at HumanMeme.com | Train with Boles Bells at BolesBells.com.
    Gordon Davidescu says:

    I’m looking forward to the increasing nannying of society, and at the same time I am certainly not. It makes for good entertainment value but then you realize that it’s real life and it’s getting worse through it.

  2. David Boles – New York City – David Boles was born in Nebraska and holds an MFA from the Oscar Hammerstein II Center for Theatre Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York. He is an author, dramatist, editor, publisher, and teacher who writes across the live stage, print, radio, television, film, and the web. With more than 50 books in print, David continues to write 2MM words a year and has authored over 25K articles. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, the Authors Guild, and PEN America, and founded The United Stage advocacy platform on the principle that playwrights have a duty to direct their own work. Read the Prairie Voice Archive at Boles.com | Buy his books at David Boles Books Writing & Publishing at BolesBooks.com | Study with Script Professor at ScriptProfessor.com | Touch American Sign Language mastery at Hardcore ASL at HardcoreASL.com | Explore the Human Meme podcast at HumanMeme.com | Train with Boles Bells at BolesBells.com.
    David W. Boles says:

    That makes good sense, Gordon. If there are some people lacking in social skills, I suppose these cartoon tributes to teaching good manners might have some effect. I’m all for a shared purpose and cohesive goals with other folks forced in public, so let’s hold thumbs this whole idea takes on some level.

  3. Pingback: A Skewed Semiotic: When a Picture Speaks the Wrong Thousand Words « Boles Blogs

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