Passengers sitting on fold-up stools on rush hour trains attract Chinese netizens' wrath

Subway passengers in Shanghai who have taken to sitting on portable stools have been criticised for their "rude and selfish" behaviour. PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST

SHANGHAI - Subway passengers on Shanghai's Metro Line who take up space on morning peak-hour trains by sitting on portable stools have been criticised for their "rude and selfish" behaviour by Chinese netizens.

The photographs of the passengers on their fold-up stools on Metro Line 9 attracted social media users' wrath, with some pointing out the passengers' selfishness in "thinking only about themselves" by taking up extra space in the cramped carriages, reported the South China Morning Post.

One user on microblog website Weibo said the behaviour also occurred on other metro lines. News website Thepaper.cn said the offending passengers showed no regard for standing commuters, who had to make room for them.

But other users argued that the metro was to blame for the shortage of seats that forced passengers to think up ways to avoid having to stand through their journey.

The Shanghai metro operator said it "neither encourages, nor supports such behaviour", but added that people were allowed to bring small stools on trains as luggage.

It warned that the use of stools annoyed other passengers and there was a risk of accidents.

The operator posted photos of passengers seated on stools on its Weibo account and urged others not to copy their actions. "Do behave yourselves - the metro is not your own home," it said.

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