The article examines Amtrak’s arrests of roughly a couple hundred men at Penn Station on "public lewdness" charges tied to alleged cruising. It explains what cruising is, how its role in gay life has changed since the 1960s, and why modern alternatives reduce its necessity. The author argues that policing should favor civil penalties and deterrence over criminal prosecution and warns that aggressive enforcement can produce collateral harms such as public shaming and immigration consequences. The piece calls the sting overkill but cautions against portraying cruising as a central rite of queer identity.
Amtrak’s Penn Station Sting: Targeted Crackdown on Gay Men — Or Overzealous Policing?
Amtrak made headlines this fall after officers arrested roughly a couple hundred men at Penn Station on charges of "public lewdness," in a sweep widely reported as targeting men cruising the station’s restrooms. The raids prompted an immediate outcry: Representative Jerry Nadler of New York demanded that Amtrak "cease ... targeting members of the LGBTQ community ... on the basis of their perceived sexual orientation," while LGBTQ outlets and commentators framed the operation as a troubling echo of past entrapment-era policing.
What Is Cruising?
Cruising, broadly defined, means seeking anonymous sexual encounters; more narrowly, it refers to pursuing sex in public or semi-public places such as restrooms, parks, or rest stops. It is often conflated with indecent exposure, but the two are distinct: cruising typically involves consenting adults attempting to avoid attention, not to display themselves for the public. Historically, cruising was one of the few avenues available to gay men when legal and social barriers made private, open relationships dangerous or impossible.
Context Has Changed — But So Have Choices
Since the 1960s, the cultural and legal landscape has shifted dramatically. Gay men today have many more ways to meet partners and express intimacy, from apps to venues designed for anonymous encounters. Bathhouses still exist in many cities, and events like raves or circuit parties can provide semi-private spaces for anonymous sex. When cruising is elective rather than a survival strategy, it is reasonable to ask whether it remains an essential cultural practice or is now frequently a chosen kink.
Manners, Public Space, And Enforcement
When anonymous sexual activity takes place in high-traffic public facilities, it can be inconsiderate to other users. A commuter trying to use a restroom stall or someone enjoying a walk in Central Park’s Ramble can be put in an unpleasant position by encounters that are meant to remain clandestine. While such encounters rarely cause lasting harm, they can spoil everyday experiences and raise legitimate public-order concerns.
Was The Sting Proportionate?
Reports about the Amtrak operation describe an elaborate undercover effort that some observers have criticized as excessive, especially given that many of the resulting cases were weak enough for judges to decline hearing them. A lighter-touch approach — a uniformed officer positioned near a restroom entrance, civil penalties or fines, clearer signage and PSAs — could deter the behavior without criminalizing consenting adults.
Enforcement should aim to protect public order while avoiding needless criminalization and the collateral risks that follow from arrests.
Collateral Harms To Consider
Heavy-handed enforcement can cause public shaming and, in some situations, trigger immigration consequences if local authorities cooperate with federal agencies like ICE. Even if Amtrak did not intend deportations, its dependence on federal funding and the involvement of law enforcement can create downstream risks for noncitizen passengers. For men who continue to face stigma or lack safe private options, criminal enforcement is especially punitive.
Conclusion
The Penn Station sting was ham-fisted and merits criticism for its proportionality and method. But defending cruising as a sacrosanct element of gay identity overstates its centrality for most queer people today. Cruising remains a consensual practice some men choose and enjoy, but in busy public settings it is often inconsiderate and should be handled through civil regulation, public education, and targeted deterrence rather than broad criminal prosecutions. As for the author’s personal note: the Ramble is for birding — please keep it that way unless you happen to be five inches tall and can fly.
