""Me first" is what many travelers describe mainland Chinese when they first arrive. A lot of things that would be extremely rude to the western world is considered normal here. Its prevalence is everywhere: line-jumping, crowding, pushing, spitting, and even littering is status quo; about the only thing that will cause them to pause is a policeman wielding a large ticket book.
Pushing in subways is the rule, especially the chaotic People's Square Station. Just dig in and push; don't feel sorry. Bumping into people in streets is commonplace and should not be a reason to get angry. It is not considered impolite to brush against the side of someone or have feet stepped on (considering the population, this may not be surprising). However, compared to public transport in other Chinese cities, the Shanghainese are better at letting people alight first and the mad rush for empty seats is not so bad - your behaviour should follow the situation: if the station is crowded then pushing is acceptable, but if not then you are more likely to be looked upon as an 'uncivilised foreigner'. Also, outside of busy times you should stand to the right on escalators to allow people to pass.
Note that Shanghai subway train drivers will close the train doors and depart when the schedule says so, even if people are still boarding. When you hear the 'doors closing' alarm (usually a series of repeating bleeps) stand back from the doors (particularly on the old Line 1 and 2 trains as the doors close very quickly and may not re-open if blocked).
Crowding (aka no line) is another problem you're likely to encounter. Whether at a ticket booth, at a busy fast food counter, or even at the grocery store, everyone jockeys for position by crowding around a staff member (say, to recharge their jiaotong card), and will do whatever possible to get in first, and get out. If at all possible, avoid the situation in the first place by finding a quiet ticket counter and recharging early. "
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