The New York City subway is like an ant colony without all the organization.
There are suit-wearing professionals with briefcases, punks in acid washed crew necks, trendy folks with knee-high bell-bottoms, and sweating mothers on a grocery run. Each forges one of countless paths that come together to create high speed chaos in a tight space.
And all the while, there's the music of amateur performers echoing.
Usually, the singers and horn players provide some welcomed entertainment among all the flurry of activity.
But a recent TikTok video showed that one woman apparently disliked a subway singer so much that she felt the need to openly mock her--and then escape down the stairs right afterwards.
Specifically, the middle-aged woman told TikTok user @nahscha, "Your voice is like eh ehhh, don't sing anymore."
In response, nahscha simply gave a sarcastic "THANK YOU!" and rolled along with her performance.
And lucky for the nahscha, who regularly sings in the subway and posts videos of her performances online for thousands of supportive fans, the whole moment was caught on camera, posted online, and seen by millions when the video went viral.
@nahscha_ Please watch..read.. and remember to be nice. Is it that hard? 🙏🏼😊#Fyp #foryoupage #FreeFreeDance #busker #nyc #bekind #letsbuildeachotherup
♬ original sound - nahscha
Overlaid across the screen, nahscha also included a pointed message within the video.
"I don't post this for sympathy. I just hope it reminds someone to think before they speak unnecessary/rude/hateful/condescending comments towards others."
"You never know what people are going through. Please do your best to radiate positive energy and be kind. Karma is real and nobody likes a bully."
TikTok viewers who saw the moment were quick to heap praise on nahscha for both her strong track record of great singing and her solid attitude.
reimi/TikTok
PhaithBee/TikTok
Hyram/TikTok
DAWID KWIATKOWSKI/TikTok
Barb/TikTok
Others had some choice words—and imagined backstories—for the woman who delivered the mean criticism.
curllycoco2/TikTok
M C/TikTok
Joy the Frenchie/TikTok
theresa/TikTok
s.e.1998/TikTok
The best thing we can all do to counter the subway Karen's toxic attitude?
Check out all of nahscha's other performances, sit back and enjoy.