Video of Beijing subway highlights commuter chaos

BEIJING — If you think taking I-15 into downtown Las Vegas during the morning commute is bad, you haven’t seen a recent video showing Beijing commuters fighting for a place on the subway.

A video posted to YouTube over the weekend shows Chinese commuters on Beijing’s Line 13 during morning rush hour on July 18. “Just a little crowded,” the title claims.

And the Strip is “just a little crowded” on a Saturday night.

The video, thought to be shot at Xierqi Station, shows a hoard of people waiting to board the subway at about 7:30 a.m. When the train pulls up, those waiting essentially ignore everything their mothers ever taught them about public transportation etiquette, preferring instead to rush for the train doors in the hopes of grabbing a spot.

Watch the doors closest to the camera at 28 seconds, as a man in white attempts to exit the train but is sucked back into its depths, lost in the onslaught of hurried commuters. Ten seconds later, he makes his escape.

People continue fighting to board the trains — or make their escape — as security personnel pull people out of the overcrowded cars.

The video was posted last week on the Chinese site Youku and picked up by the blog Beijing Cream. Beijing Cream’s post to YouTube has gotten more than 1.2 million views so far.

Contact Stephanie Grimes at sgrimes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @steph_grimes on Twitter.