The message is circulating on Instagram: a new RATP/SNCF rule would prohibit wearing makeup in the metro or train, under penalty of a fine of $60. Enough to doubt those who finish their complexion on line 13. In reality, the simple fact of putting on makeup on transport is not prohibited, and no specific fine has been created for this.
The nuance plays out elsewhere. As long as your beauty routine remains clean and discreet, you are in no legal risk. But as soon as dirt, product projections or obvious inconvenience to other travelers come into play, the rules of incivility apply, with the famous $60 fine mentioned in the video.
Wearing makeup in transport: what RATP and SNCF really plan
According to the official RATP scale, agents can report “dirt” or “disturbing the peace of travelers”. These are catch-all categories which cover, for example, feet on seats, damage or deliberate soiling. The amount of the fixed fine for these offenses is $60, with possible increases if payment is deferred or in the event of subsequent proceedings.
On the SNCF and Transilien side, the logic is the same: the texts target damage and dirt on board, not makeup as a gesture. A fine may be accompanied by processing fees when the user pays later. The legal framework is based on the Transport Code and the transport police, which have discretion to classify a situation as incivility.
In which cases makeup can really lead to a fine
A mascara applied quickly, a lipstick put back in place, a concealer dabbed on the finger, sitting without encroaching on the neighbor’s space: these very frequent scenes remain outside the scope of punishment. Wearing makeup in the metro, RER or train is therefore legal as long as there is no dirt or clear nuisance for other passengers.
The risk appears as soon as the routine turns into a mini walking bathroom. Loose powder flying onto your neighbor’s clothes, foundation or varnish spilled on a seat, strongly perfumed setting spray in a crowded train, big gestures that constantly hit the person next to you: these behaviors can be reclassified as soiling or disturbing the peace, with the fine provided for these offenses.
Between law and politeness: how to put on makeup without problem
In the wagons, reactions are very divided. Some people admire the dexterity of those who trace a line of liner on a swaying oar; others find the scene frankly embarrassing, even intimate. Journalist Michèle Binswanger sums up this discrepancy well by writing: “Although it is not particularly elegant, carrying out your beauty routine in public does not harm anyone and does not cause dirt or olfactory unpleasantness.”
To stay on the quiet side of the fence, a few reflexes help:
- favor products that are not very messy (sticks, pencils, creams, no loose powder or sprays);
- if possible, sit on the window side to limit movements towards the corridor;
- keep in mind that, if an agent asks you to stop in the name of passenger comfort, putting your kit away prevents the scene from turning into a real incident.
