Brooklyn’s narrow York Street subway station is home to a couple of vintage signs that deserve a little love.
“No Smoking, Spitting” is pretty rough around the edges; looks like it dates from the 1940s or 1950s—and probably hasn’t been enforced since then:
I love that someone at the MTA at one time thought it necessary to put this next sign up.
As you climb the stairs out of the Financial District’s Nassau Street station, you’re greeted by these old-school directions. The barber shop is still there, but I didn’t see a beauty salon.
Tags: MTA, Nassau Street station, smoking in the subway, spitting in the subway, Vintage subway signs, York Street station
January 7, 2009 at 7:01 pm |
They must never take these brilliant signs down!
February 9, 2009 at 2:55 am |
With reference to the “No Spitting” sign, I cannot say when it was in use, but I do remember seeing NYC signs that read “No Expectorating” in the early 1940s when I was very young. I remember “sounding out” the word and then my mother explaining its meaning.
How I wish law enforcement would come down hard on that filthy habit which has once again become prevalent all over the USA.
February 9, 2009 at 5:24 am |
I completely agree; it’s really disgusting. But I guess if the police won’t do anything about people urinating in the street and in subway stations, they aren’t going to stop them from spitting.
April 27, 2011 at 1:57 am |
[...] how old is the Park Slope ad? I’m guessing it dates to the 1940s, and it just might be older than these vintage signs found in another Brooklyn F station that warn riders not to spit or lean over too far toward the [...]
April 28, 2011 at 2:14 am |
The faded signs along the Chrsler Building passageway, underneath Lexington, at Grand Central, are nice too.