In order to ensure your safety and the safety of others, please do not use your own footstools in the carriage. This announcement was heard on the morning rush hour from the PA system of carriage 11 on the Shanghai Metro, near the end of the train. Despite the announcement, eight passengers were sitting on their own footstools, some wearing headphones, some looking at their phones and others wearing eyeshades to get some sleep, ignoring the broadcast.

During rush hour, “stool users” on the subway are not only likely to affect other passengers, but also pose safety risks. However, the practice has repeatedly failed to be eradicated. Shanghai Metro said there are currently no relevant laws prohibiting the use of small stools on the subway, so persuasion takes priority, hoping there will be improvements with revisions to the relevant code of conduct.

Eight people sat in a small carriage with their own small stools

Others sat on the floor.

You know it's not allowed to bring your own stools to sit in the train carriage, right?

When asked by reporters, a passenger blurted out a reply. He told reporters that he departed from Huqiao and goes to Xujiahui for work, which takes more than an hour. Along the way, the passenger had been sitting on a small stool until he started to pack up the stool, folded it, and put it in his bag at the stop before Xujiahui. He said that he sat on the small stool because he was "tired".

During rush hour recently, reporters visited Shanghai Metro Line 9 and Line 11 and found that passengers were using their own small stools in the carriages. Most of them were "office workers" rushing to work during the morning rush hour, concentrated in the carriages near the front and rear of the train. Foldable and portable small stools have become a "must-have" for some passengers when going to work. Some people use canvas bags to store them, while others fold them up and put them in their backpacks.

Around 8:30am, a line 11 train bound for Disney arrived at Taopu Xincun metro station. The journalist saw at the last carriage that the entire carriage was packed, with two passengers seated on their own small stools in the middle, taking up much space, making it difficult for intending passengers to board.

In another Line 11 subway carriage, it was not too crowded but still packed. An old man got on at Nanxiang Station and seeing that there were no seats available, he took out a foldable stool from his bag and sat in a corner near the door and a seat, with his back to the door. As the train approached Jiangsu Road Station, he began to pack up his stool in preparation for getting off.

When a passenger expressed concern that it might block the path of passengers exiting, he replied, "It won't be in the way. How can it be in the way? If it is, I'll make way."

In one of the carriages visited by the reporter, no more than a small area had eight passengers sitting on small stools, and one passenger sat directly on the ground. One of the passengers said:This stool is for my family. They can sit on it. The other ones are retractable.

Other passengers sitting on small stools, some put on eye masks to catch up on sleep, while some wear headphones to watch their phones. When the car is crowded, passengers getting off often need to be careful to avoid the passengers sitting on the small stools.

The "bench-sitting tribe" peak coincides with the morning and evening peak hours

Passengers are also "paradoxical"

Ms. Chen said, "I also saw someone sitting on a small stool they brought on the Line 12 during rush hour the other day." "It's good for office workers to have their own space to rest after getting off work, but if everyone brings a stool, there definitely won't be enough standing room, and it will also affect the public space of the subway.

Quite a few passengers expressed such "contradictions". A passenger who takes Metro Line 11 to and from work said that it would be acceptable if it wasn't rush hour, but it may affect others during rush hour.

Ms. Liang also frequently takes Line 11 to work, she also says, "When the carriage is less crowded, it doesn't have much impact, but during rush hour, when there are many people, it may take up more space and affect others."

However, the peak of "subway benchers" often coincides with the morning and evening rush hours, and when there is a crowd and no seats in the subway carriage, people are most likely to bring their own small benches.

Not only do those sitting on stools take up more space compared to standing passengers, but some sit by the doors, creating a safety hazard. Plus, when "stool passengers" occupy a lot of space, standing passengers nearby may not be able to reach something to hold onto, which could easily lead to them falling or being crushed by "stool passengers" when the train starts or jolts mid-ride.

Reporters learned from the Shanghai Metro that staff dissuaded 72 "seat hoarding" incidents last week, mainly on Lines 9 and 11. Upon seeing such behavior, metro staff and volunteers would normally intervene.

A subway worker said that when passengers enter the station, it is not necessarily for sitting if they are holding small stools, so it cannot be banned, and it can only be stopped when they sit in the carriage. At present, it is "as soon as it is found, it will be stopped in time". Some staff also said that if you encounter the "stool tribe", you can call the service hotline 64370000 to report the situation.

However, from the current visits, it appears that the "plank tribe" is still rampant.

Shanghai Metro:Look forward to further improvement in the revision of relevant regulations

Can passengers use stools on the subway? Some argue that long-distance commuting is tiring for office workers and banning stools is “inhumane,” calling for society to “question, understand, and become stool users.” Others believe that we should not sacrifice others' comfort for our own.

How to Reduce the Number of "Benchwarmers"

How about making the morning rush hour a little bit more orderly?

Some lines currently feature seating compartments in carriages similar to those found on trains

Can longer subway lines add seats?

Metro Shanghai workers told reporters:Line 11 is an urban rail transit line that is usually designated for daily commuting and urban passenger flow, which is essentially different from trains. Therefore, the passenger carriages, including the seats, follow the urban rail model and are nearly identical to other subway lines. Some stations implement passenger flow control during peak hours. The priority is to transport passengers safely and quickly, so it is difficult to meet seat demand. The corresponding design is also unsuitable for urban rail transit.

Some netizens also hope that Line 11 will set up a section of express stops, because many people get off at stations such as Jiangsu Road, Caoyang Road, and Xujiahui.

From a professional perspective, the "skip-stop" operation can't solve the fundamental problem whether it is Line 9 or Line 11, and it will also affect the passengers passing through the skipped stations. Besides, it doesn't have the condition to operate "express trains," said the relevant staff.

In the "Shanghai Rail Transit Passenger Code of Conduct", there is no mention of prohibiting the use of small stools in train carriages. However, in the "Shanghai Public Bus and Tram Ride Rules", it is mentioned that carrying items that occupy seats or block aisles is prohibited.

上海地铁表示，At present, there are no relevant regulations prohibiting the use of small benches on subways, so the main focus is on staff persuasion. I hope that the revision of relevant codes can be more improved in the future. 同时，上海地铁也呼吁乘客们为了自身安全和他人安全，尽量不要在车厢里使用小板凳。