Fri 2 May 2008
Japanese Subway Shovers Redux
Posted by TJ under Tokyo
We recently featured some video on the white-gloved employees in Japan whose job it is to shove people into packed subways. Someone–OK, TJ’s dad–just sent a second video of the above, and this one’s even better.
I love how the pushers initially start scanning the mass of humankind for their angles and points of leverage; they look like hockey referees waiting for the right opportunity to separate two giant Canucks ensconced in a five-minute major.
I love how the human overspill spreads several feet onto the platform, yet the men still know there’s a way to get everyone in.
I love how no one complains as they’re being violently shoved; while the clip has full audio, you don’t hear a peep of complaint, though I’m pretty sure you can hear the guy in the tan overcoat’s spine get rearranged.
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:06 pm
It seems to me that in the time it took to shove all of those people in they could have had two trains run the tracks. It seems awfully dangerous to have that kind of a crowd as well.
May 5th, 2008 at 11:53 am
Isn’t there a sign inside the car that says, “no more than 100 person occupancy?” or something like that? wow. That was impressive - the enthusiasm especially of both the commuters and the “shovers.” I gotta watch it again. As to the question of whether two trains would come in the same time it took the passengers to be shoved in - that’s a good one. In NYC I’d say no. They always say, another train’s coming but… is there really one coming… now?