Peak Periods on the Subway

Experienced a Beijing Subway Rush this evening when we changed trains seven times to and fro. Upon pulling up at the station, I was pleasantly surprised to see queues of people outside while mentally comparing it to Singapore where queues at the MRT are Stomp-worthy. With that first impression in mind and expecting to step onto the platform with ease, nothing prepared me for the shock when the train doors opened and a surge of people immediately wrestled, pushed and elbowed in an almost detached way. They seem to view the people around them as obstacles and by all means possible, get them out of the way. So I, too, battled my way out, nearly elbowing some guy's face.

Also, standing butt to butt with a stranger on an impossibly sardine-packed subway is about the most awkward thing I've yet to experience.