Packed public transport

robfosters · 17 Dec 2016 at 10:58

I don't know how exaggerated this is but I saw this video the other day. It got me thinking, what's the worst public transport you've personally experienced when it comes to sheer numbers? I'm not very well travelled, so I would still say the London underground for me. One day in particular in 2003. I genuinely couldn't move a muscle and the temperature was in the 90's. Closest I've ever come to blacking out and quite possibly the worst 20 minutes of my life. I was totally drenched in sweat by the time I finally got off.

scorza · 17 Dec 2016 at 11:05

First Capital Connect train from Three Bridges (Crawley) to Farringdon. Being over an hour away from London I naively thought there'd be a good chance of a seat. Not so, in the end I was lucky enough to have a knob (fnar fnar) to hold onto. At least it's not too bad as far as East Croydon because the train actually moves quickly, after that it's the 10mph crawl to London Bridge.

Edit: just seen the vid and still the trains in Japan run on time. Amazing what encouraging a culture of pride in your nation can achieve.

Terminal_Boy · 17 Dec 2016 at 11:05

Central Line during evening rush hour every summer.

Carriages are rammed full, hot & steamy like a green house and it's 10 hours since anyone showered.

And the heat causes the ancient and poorly maintained power and signalling systems to be even less reliable than normal.

arknor · 17 Dec 2016 at 11:09

Switzerland buses hardly ever a seat... and the driver has a button to unlock a bunch of ones for disabled/elderly etc but doesnt even if the bus is full unless someone clearly needs it

merlin · 17 Dec 2016 at 11:09

I'm only in here because I misread the title and thought it said naked public transport.

nitram100 · 17 Dec 2016 at 11:12

**** like this makes me want to live in a forest.

Em3bbs · 17 Dec 2016 at 11:14

The Tokyo video isn't exaggerated, the first time I experienced the metro there I was shocked! If people pushed like that anywhere else then it would result in a punch up.

I take the H&C/Circle line from Paddington to the City and to be honest it's not bad, even in rush hour. The new trains have aircon and are every 4 or 5 minutes so even if one is full because a load of GWR train passengers just arrived at the same time then you can get the next one. I used to take the Central line and as Terminal_Boy says it's a nightmare especially in the summer.

Blackjack Davy · 17 Dec 2016 at 11:14

At least they're polite about it in Tokyo and they're actually paid to do it, they even wear white gloves when they're doing it! If it was this country it would probably end in a fist fight and a union strike 10 minutes later.

Which reminds me a relative is married to a japanese girl and one of his relatives came over to visit this being birthplace of the railways and all and he wanted to see some historic trains and whatnot, he's an engineer on the Bullet Trains. Anyway he experienced some of our railways and was a bit... shocked. Lol.

Maverick2332 · 17 Dec 2016 at 11:15

robfosters said:
the temperature was in the 90's.

Fahrenheit i hope.

That's still rough, Worst for me was in Japan ironcally - Everyone on the train standing and hardly even room to breathe, it's crazy because they pack loads on and just when you think there can't possibly be more then more get on when you get to the next station.

Efour · 17 Dec 2016 at 11:16

Romford to Liverpool Street then onto central line for 2 years killed me.
Train was shoulder to shoulder for 30 minutes. Got wiffy around Ilford... know what im saying...

Rroff · 17 Dec 2016 at 11:17

Had a few instances where coming into London Bridge station and just looking at the numbers waiting to get on and been like "no, no, definitely no" and got off and found another way.

Cosimo · 17 Dec 2016 at 11:17

Terminal_Boy said:
Central Line during evening rush hour every summer.

Carriages are rammed full, hot & steamy like a green house and it's 10 hours since anyone showered.

And the heat causes the ancient and poorly maintained power and signalling systems to be even less reliable than normal.

The Piccadilly line is a travelling sauna.

rker83 · 17 Dec 2016 at 11:39

6 hour train journey from Beijing to Zhenghzou over night was an experience.
Although, Northern Line in to London Bridge from St. Panc is also pretty intimate.

Feef · 17 Dec 2016 at 11:52

Worst was definitely China, 11 hours overnight from Dalian to Beijing, during Chinese New Year. No chance of a seat, so had to stand with a dozen other people by the carriage door, not even enough room to squat down.

Also had to pretend I didn't understand Chinese, as several of them tried to talk to me when we set off, and I definitely didn't have 11 hours of Chinese in me. So they talked about me instead, and I spent the journey trying not to react/smirk at what they were saying about me