Excuse me! Professional people-shovers in the Shanghai Metro

People’s Square. You might think this large space would conjure images of the huge, beautiful park, or the nearby walking street, or Grand Theater, or Shanghai Museum. More likely though, once you've visited, you’re going to think of crowds, chaos and possibly feel a sense of empathy for all the world's proverbial sardines squashed into their tins. 

You will also think of the People’s Square metro station. Congestion here is bad. So bad, those sardines would take one look at the crowds during rush hour and think "Err, okay, I'm going back to the can." And things are only getting worse. Thankfully city authorities are taking matters into their own hands. Or more accurately, they're placing the overcrowding problem into the hands of professional people-pushers. 

Yes, Japan is no longer the only country with people hired specifically to shove passengers into subway cars. 

The idea is that the helpful shove will reduce delays by allowing the train to close its doors and be on its way. According to China Daily, every carriage on the new Line 8 is 32 percent overloaded at all times and 70 percent overloaded during peak hours causing massive delays.

"You have to be really rude and brutal to cram yourself into the carriage," says Liao Yumei, a daily commuter on Metro line 8 from Zhongxing Lu to People's Square. 

One would think the existing platform police, whistles in hand to make sure no one crosses the yellow line, would be able to pick-up the people-shoving slack. But it seems the situation requires dedicated people pushers. 

So next time you get a dirty look from the person whose face just connected with your briefcase, you can blame the professional.