"I Have Zero Tolerance For Couples Who Exhibit Very Private Affections In Very Public Places."

26-year-old Nicole Ferraro is tired of your public displays of affection, and she’s written a piece for the New York Times in order to express her utter disgust at the Schmoopies of the world:

“As a 26-year-old woman living in Manhattan, I have zero tolerance for couples who exhibit very private affections in very public places,” Ferraro’s piece begins, “Although I try to look elsewhere, these amorous displays are hard to avoid. Everywhere I go, people are fondling each other as if the entire city were a cheap motel room.”

She goes on to complain (appropriately so, as this piece is a part of the Times’ “Complaint Box” series) about PDAs on the subway, at the pharmacy, and generally anywhere else she is forced to share space with other people. New York City to Ferraro, it seems, is one giant makeout party that she is being forced to attend against her will. She is quick to point out, however, that her disgust at PDAs is not the result of jealousy: “I’m not jealous, nor am I affection deprived. I would just like to enjoy a meal, a train ride or a stroll down the street without turning up the volume on my iPod to drown out the sound of strangers’ smooches.”

Ferraro’s argument didn’t impress Times readers, who accused her of being “cold” and “prude.” It’s an argument that can’t really be won, akin to complaining about children crying in public, or people coughing at a restaurant, or people wearing clothing in public that you feel is “inappropriate.” When you share a city with millions of people, you can’t expect all of them to conform to your personal rules on decorum, nor can you control their behaviors or how they choose to express themselves publicly. Commenters on the Times piece also pointed out that PDAs were much more common in places like Paris, and have even led to jail time in Dubai, something that Ferraro’s column did not address.

I can understand where Ferraro is coming from in many ways: it’s a bit ridiculous for adults to be feeling each other up and down while waiting for their popcorn at the movie theater, but what can you do? If it’s a matter of people trying to get attention, you can always choose not to give it to them. But I think, in most cases, when people are making out on the subway, they don’t necessarily give a crap what you think or if you choose to watch. Ferraro, meanwhile, says she’ll deal with the endless PDA parade by giving her own public displays—of disgust. Perhaps a better plan would be to recognize that the world doesn’t revolve around her, and that openly expressing her disdain for the kissy-faces of the world is pretty much equal to other people openly expressing their lovey-dovey feelings toward one another.

So what say you, commenters? Are you on Ferraro’s side when it comes to PDAs? Or do you have a more live and let live type mentality?

Complaint Box: Public Smooching [NYTimes]
Jailed Dubai Kissing Pair Lose Appeal Over Conviction [BBC]