Exsqueeze Me!

For those of you well versed in the sweaty, confined ways of London tube travel, this video clip from The Metro of Japanese commuters being pushed onto the train will make your eyes water.

We've seen Tasheki's Castle. We know they're a bit bonkers. But when we saw this there was a collective clang as jaws smacked the floor. Those fellas in green wearing the pristeen white gloves, they're the highlight. Known as 'pushers' they are employed solely to do just that. Every morning they wedge hoardes of Japan's office workers onto already heaving trains.

Amusingly, these guys are also employed to pluck cheeky passengers off the full scale bundle should they dare to make a last minute dash as the doors are closing, or if the carriage is too packed.

Er, too packed? Hmmm. We're intrigued. At which point is overcrowding deemed too excessive exactly? Is it:

a) When you are able to conduct microscopic pore inspection of your fellow travelers' skin.
b) When you hear a snapping sound. That's your feeble ribcage buckling under the strain. (Man up, for fuck's sake!)
c) When passengers are spat onto their destination platform, bloated and blue.

Answers on a glittery postcard, please.

There is one thing we do know though. Bitching about the London underground now seems a hollow pursuit, so we'll leave TfL well alone for at least, oooooh... a week.

Photo courtesy of stijn's photostream on Flickr.

Written by Ria on 16 May 2008 5:37 PM. Permalink