Coming from Europe, I know how pissed and grumpy people can be in the morning, but it's usually the default mode that most people are in from 7:00 to 9:00, so it never really leads to any blown fuses. In Japan however, and especially Tokyo, the rush hour rage is a very different "beast" because people try so hard to meet social expectations until they explode, and it's honestly a fascinating sight to behold.
I frequently use the Oedo Line when I have to go and get told how fat I am by my doctor, and unfortunately I have to use it from Shinjuku with it's long-ass escalator. Last week on this escalator I saw a chain reaction of a meltdown caused by one single ojisan. The old grandpa was standing on the right side of the escalator with no one in front of him, but a horde of salarymen behind him. In the first few seconds you could tell from their body language that they were annoyed, with the first three dudes looking like they had to urgently use the bathroom.
Then when the platform announcement came on it happened… The people at the top of the escalator started yelling "邪魔" aggressively at the people in front of them, who then got stressed and began yelling at people further down, all the way down to the guy behind the old man who started screaming in his ear. It first started with どけよ！and then the R's started rolling and it transitioned to 死ね！！and other nasty words that I couldn't quite make out.
The old dude did not give a fuck. Not a single word from him, and he even had the nerve to stop right after he got off the elevator to check his wallet, so that everyone had to squeeze pass him. I think I saw at least three or four shoulder bumps, followed by a few insults. Again, he did not give a fuck. He casually walked over to the bench on the platform, sat down and started to take a nap while several people missed their train.
I am not saying the old guy was in the right here, but it's just so crazy how people here can explode at the slightest inconvenience.
by DannyKata85