Have you ever seen Pleasantville? In a nutshell, it’s a movie where siblings go from the 1990s to the 1950s by getting sucked into their television. Suddenly, they’re in a world mimicking timid teenagers who “go steady” by taking things slow. Even holding hands seems scandalous. If you look around, it’s obvious that a lot has changed since the 1950s. Think about public displays of affection, or “PDAs” as we have come to call them. Are PDAs acceptable behavior, or is a woe of society?

Instead of a friendly “hello” from a significant other, lovers greet each other with a passionate kiss in the middle of campus. You might be saying, “So, who cares?” But there’s got to be a way for two people to show emotions without slobbering all over each other. Ever hear of holding hands, or giving a peck on the cheek? Even a quick kiss on the lips is fine, but when you start sucking each other’s face like an octopus eating its prey, it seems like you’re trying too hard to prove your love. I don’t want to see your amazing kissing skills when I walk to Lecture Hall. It might make me swoon.

Passionate kissing isn’t the only aspect of PDA that could be tamed. I see some people sitting on the couches in the dark corners of the library, rubbing each other’s backs, arms, and even (dare I say it?) the insides of their upper thighs profusely. Danger! Danger! That is too close for comfort. What are you trying to do? I know it might be cold in Binghamton, but be careful — all that rubbing could cause a fire.

If you think that isn’t a major issue, consider the public display of touching the unmentionables. Lovers start groping each other, not caring who else may see them. You don’t need to grab each other’s private parts just to show that you are with someone. We can clearly see that you are together. We can figure it out if you simply kissed or walked hand in hand. If I wanted to see serious action, I would just watch “Sex and the City.”

Even grabbing between two lovers is nothing compared to the ultimate PDA: having sex in public. Although I’ve never seen it happen, I know it occurs. It happened in the women’s bathroom in high school, and it happens here in the bathrooms on campus, as seen in a past opinion article written for Pipe Dream. You, the affectionate lovebirds, think that you’re being sneaky about your physical relationship? Think again. Someone, somewhere, has either seen or heard you, and would rather not have that particular experience ingrained into their memory. If you want to have sex, do it in the privacy of your own room. At least there you won’t traumatize innocent people.

To those who practice PDA, think before you act. I know many people who would greatly appreciate it.

Eun Sil Kang is a junior English major.