Apr 24 2011 dcfc english Worship [The Master & The Disciple] Luke 24: 28-36

CARES, OF THE WORLD

Subway in Tokyo

Date: 1/2006.101

10 February 2008 DCFC English - Mark 5 21-43 ~ White Water Faith

People in uniform and white gloves. Oh! I have seen this on TV. It always looks so funny when the TV shows these people pushing the commuters into the train carriage. They push with one hand, two hands, with their backs and all sorts of ways. No matter what, by the time the train alarm for door closing goes off, they always somehow manage to fit all the people in. Then the camera would show those people in the train all crushed up, against the door, against the window - like a tin of sardines - it was really funny.

Now, here I was with my pretty wife and a busy Monday morning at 9.00 am. Somehow, it didn’t strike me that I would be one of those people whose face gets pressed up against the window. I thought I could out maneuver them. We got ourselves in a good position and when the train came, we managed to get in early. There were no sits, but we managed to settle ourselves into a comfortable corner near the other door. Mistake No. 2. Suddenly, more and more people came in and the carriage was so crowded that there was not enough standing space, yet more people came. And yet more were standing outside. I was thinking "Hey, no more space! Don't come in anymore!" Then the officers in white gloves began to do their jobs and they pushed and they pushed. Amazingly, all those people standing outside managed to get in. It was as if they were prepared for this. They just stood they like spineless leaf stalks. When those officers pushed, they just went along! I was no longer comfortable and found my back crushed against a man who was pressed against the door! And in front of me, there were 3 ladies, one right in my face, the other two on my left and right, pressing against me. I never felt so violated before.

It was terrible and I wished somehow I could get out of this, but I could not move.

Once my wife and I were in Tokyo and we wanted to try the famous rush hour squeeze. You see, we have seen the rush hour scene on the trains in many Japanese movies and wanted to experience for ourselves what it is like. During rush hour, there are so many people that the trains would be packed till the passengers are unable to board the trains. Then officers wearing white gloves would come along and push those outside the train in. Amazingly they manage to squeeze at least another 50% in. I thought it looked quite funny so we decided to try it out. We went at about 8.30 that day and there were truly a lot of people. But being a typical Singaporean, I thought, I cannot lose out to these Japanese. So skillfully, we maneuvered to the front just as the train was pulling in. When the doors opened, we rushed in but to my dismay, we were just a little too slow to find a seat. So I found a comfortable spot by one of the train metallic support and stood there. I was going to stand my ground and survive Tokyo rush hour. People started to pile in and eventually I was backed into the metal support. The train was already full, at least by my definition, but there were still many people outside. Then like in the movies, those white gloves officers came along. Everyone was ready for them except me. They just stood like flaccid leaves and with one pushed more people than I could imagine fit into the train. Almost everybody got in. I was squashed by three petite Japanese ladies up in my face, to the left and to the right. There was absolutely no concept of private space and I could identify what each lady ate for breakfast by their smell of their breath. The only part of my body I could move without being accused of molestation was my toes.

Pressures of life.