Rush Hour on the Yamanote Line

8:46am, Monday, 27 October 2008.  Riding the Yamanote Line between Ueno and Tokyo Stations.  

OK.  Today, at this time, Tokyo felt like a city with a population of 38 million in its metro area.  Yes.  No questions.

The first hint was when I headed to the Yamanote Line's platform at Ueno.  I couldn't go up the escalator as it was cordoned off on one side.  This was to force people to line up on the other.  I looked left and saw the lineup - all the way down the hall and another set of stairs!

The train was definitely a sardine can on wheels.  I was squeezed to, and touching, all the people around me.  All I had was the volume my body takes up standing in the middle of the car.   In Canada I would have been accused of groping multiple times. If I scratched I rubbed my hand against the person next to me. I wanted to take a picture but couldn't get to my backpack.

When people got on or off they elbowed - no, that is too rough - they confidently pushed the people around them with their entire bodies.  Full weight.  No calls of "hey watch it!" or "ouch!" from the recipients of the check.  Silence.  It just happened - an expected behaviour.

The shorter people, who couldn't reach the handles dangling from the ceiling, were at the mercy of this wave, this mass, of people.  It the train veered or stopped abruptly they had to just hope the people around them were staying up.  There were no children, few elderly, no travellers with suitcases.

You have to ignore the contact.  Ignore your need for space.  Just go for the ride.  Look out whatever window space you might see.  Breathe.  Meditate.  Close your eyes and pretend you are in a garden somewhere.  Feel the breeze created by the ceiling fans.  While packed it is very quiet.  No mobile phones ringing.  Nobody talking.  Bizarrely peaceful.

Just sardines waiting to be taken out of their can.

Let me know what you think about what you have just read. Please and thanks!

Comments

Sleepwalker said…
Ceiling fans? Nice touch.
October 27, 2008 at 6:18 PM
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