Why is it that people cut in line in China?

[skylee]

And then the other thing I've never understood is why some people almost kill themselves running for a free seat on the metro (usually middle aged women), yet stand up and wait by the door to get out as soon as the train leaves their penultimate stop. In the UK, most people wait until the train has almost stopped at their destination before they get up and get ready to get out.

I am pretty sure there are announcements like 請抓緊時間準備下車on busses and subway on the mainland. I think that is supposed to make people get off more quickly.

As for the low-education argument - I don't recall there being queuing and door-holding lessons at any level of my education

Interesting. I think this is what kids are taught in kindergarten. I myself hardly attended kindergarten so I can't say for sure. But I do remember being told to line up almost everyday in primary school. I don't think anyone said anything about door-holding in my education, though.

[Xiwang]

Madly stabbing at the close-doors button on the lift too, when you can clearly see someone walking towards it ... it's hard not to look down on people who behave this way, even though the rational part of my brain tries hard to find excuses for the behaviour. Madly stabbing at the close-doors button on the lift too, when you can clearly see someone walking towards it ... it's hard not to look down on people who behave this way, even though the rational part of my brain tries hard to find excuses for the behaviour.

One Chinese guy closed the elevator doors on me at the mall as I was getting on so I wound up getting hit by the doors. I was so angry that, without thinking, I slapped his finger off of the button. Fortunately, he was a somewhat educated person who understood basic English. It's much more satisfying to yell at someone in English when they understand you.

I can understand people queue jumping for limited resources, but I still don't get the cramming into the metro thing.

I figured out one reason why people may shove their way onto the subway.

One day, I decided not to join in the mad rush to get onto the Shanghai Metro. I waited for everyone to get off and then started to get on. As I stepped into the doorway, the train operator closed the doors right on me with me between them. It was not a gentle experience.

Unlike train operators in the United States, the Chinese operators may not check to see that the doors are clear. They just close them, possibly because there are so many people on the platform that they can't see to the end of the train anyway (so why bother even trying). Last year, a woman at the Zhongshan Park Station got her hand caught in the subway doors while attempting to get on. The train started moving and dragged her until her body hit a barrier. She was killed.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/woman-dies-after-hand-caught-in-train-door/story-e6freonf-1225888749931

So the Chinese may shove their way onto the subway, in part, so as not to get killed.

[anonymoose]

Last year, a woman at the Zhongshan Park Station got her hand caught in the subway doors while attempting to get on. The train started moving and dragged her until her body hit a barrier. She was killed.

That's interesting. There is someone on the platform who waves a green flag after the doors have closed to signal all is well and that the train can depart. I wonder what the flag guy at Zhongshan Park was doing that day.

[Brian US]

I notice big red buttons on pillars next to the tracks on Beijing subways. Is this an emergency shutoff for the train that anyone can push? Does it make confetti fall from the ceiling?

[greenarcher]

I asked my professor about this. In his opinion, this "phenomenon" can be rooted back in the early days of communism where food vouchers/stubs were given out to the masses. If you were slow or less aggressive than the rest, you won't be able to get these vouchers. This is what set the mentality of always being first than the others. I don't know if it's true or not but it does make sense even in a little way.

[aristotle1990]

I can understand people queue jumping for limited resources, but I still don't get the cramming into the metro thing.

This one's pretty obvious -- in Beijing, at least, there's often a good chance that the train will simply be too packed for you to get on if you don't rush.

[Lu]

Basically, if you're in a queue/line, you're just an obstacle, not a human being.

I used to think that many people here just don't have a concept of lines (once I was waiting for the metro, in a line of about 4 people, when a man walked over, picked a place he liked in the line, and took it. People actually made room for him) but this makes a lot more sense.

I think the rushing onto the metro is because, like one poster said, if you don't get on quickly enough the train might leave without you. Even if you're close to the doors, people are pushing behind you so you still rush on. I agree with Roddy that things did get a lot better, seven years ago you had to elbow your way on, now there are lines. I almost always take line 10 during rush hour, and there are very neat lines. The standing at the door when your stop is still one stop away is a very wise thing to do during rush hour, if you only start moving to the doors when you're at your stop you risk either missing your stop and/or pissing of everybody with all your pushing towards the doors.

[gougou]

I was just about to say something to the three guys when my girlfriend noticed the look of anger on my face

I think often it is more helpful to control your anger and then say something. So, instead of "WTF do you think you're doing?", you could say "I'm sorry, you must have overlooked it, the end of the queue is over here."

It is face-saving enough that people will be likely to comply rather than becoming defensive, but still can be embarrassing enough (by being called out) for some that it might have some influence on their future behavior.

[gato]

Now I just try to make sure no one cuts in front of me and if people do I just take a deep breath and use it as a moment to cultivate my patience while simultaneously feeding my moral high horse.

That's a good way to look at it. You could also use the extra time to work on your flashcards. ;)

[Brian US]

I don't I buy the excuse of those who had to wait for food vouchers. I think the kid born in the 90's grabbing his Nescafe has never thought about this waiting/cutting in line. Gato was witness to the older generation in the 70's and 80's, but I think Yang Rui said it best.