The next big population bogeyman could well be 'overcrowding'. Should we worry?

Vincenzina Santoro | Wednesday, 3 February 2010

Monaco to Mongolia: population density and prosperity

Stop the World -- I Want to Get Off” was the title of a hit Broadway play some years ago. Today, getting people off the planet is what the United Nations population control crowd would like to do in order to “save” it. After the failed Copenhagen climate control confabulation last December, they will be refocusing their strategy and may target the presumed horrors of overpopulation in the form of large concentrations of people in any given place.

The constantly updating “population clock” of the U.S. Census Bureau showed that the U.S. population was over 308 million and world population not quite 6.8 billion as I write. To the population worriers, these numbers are far too many. Population nihilists conjure up horrendous stories of hordes of people living extremely closely together in dire poverty, clamoring for scarce resources. Fewer people equals less carbon footprints, they claim.

What about “overcrowding?” China’s coercive one-child policy to explicitly curb population is well known, but is China that densely populated? Not at all, when one looks at the relevant data. While the population of China at 1.3 billion is the highest of any country in the world, China ranks only 53rd out of 192 countries in terms of population density, as can be observed in data assembled by the CIA.

This begs the question: Which is the most densely populated country on earth? It happens to be Monaco – that wonderful principality bordering France on the Mediterranean. Monaco is by far the most densely populated country, with a population of only 32,140 but a population density of 41,971 per square mile. Singapore is the distant second, followed by Malta.


What is life like in Monaco? Certainly not what the population doomsayers would predict. The tiny country has one of the highest standards of living, quality of life and personal wealth anywhere on earth. Per capita income is the 20th highest in the world, according to the World Bank. Monaco’s population density is 2.5 times that of next ranking Singapore, which is also among the most prosperous countries, and life in Malta is equally pleasant.

The least densely populated country is Mongolia, sandwiched between China and Russia, which has a density of only five persons per square mile and a total population of 2.8 million. A mountainous and cold country, it too has a vast territory, though much smaller than its two mega-neighbors, and its partly nomadic people rank among the world’s poorest in per capita income.

Of the five most populous countries – China, India, USA, Indonesia, and Russia – India, China, and Indonesia rank 18th, 53rd, and 60th in population density, respectively. India and China each have a population exceeding one billion, but they are not nearly as crowded as other places. The USA with a fertility rate that currently is at the replacement level of 2.1, ranks number 142 on the list, while Russia, the world’s largest country in land area, with an extremely low fertility rate of 1.4 and a population already in decline, ranks as low as 177.

Although Africa is often the target of the population monitors, data do not corroborate their concerns. The United Nations population counters let it be known recently that Africa’s population had just reached the one billion mark. Even so, Africa accounts for only 15 per cent of global population, compared with 60 per cent for Asia. Among the 50 least densely populated countries, 19 are African. Of the 50 most densely populated countries only two are on the African continent: Rwanda and Burundi, and four are small island nations – São Tomé and Principe (in the Gulf of Guinea) and Mauritius, the Comoros and the Seychelles (in the Indian Ocean) which are considered part of Africa.

At a conference in New York on January 22nd, a highly acclaimed demographer who formerly headed the Population Division at the United Nations asked the hypothetical question: What would happen if all the 6.8 billion people currently on earth were to move to the United States? His answer was that the U.S. population density would become the same as that of the Netherlands! Moreover, New York, the most populous city in the United States with a population of 8.5 million has a population density of 26, 403 per square mile – less than that of Monaco.

And a final word about Monaco. Land-wise, all of Monaco can fit comfortably into the 1.32 square miles of New York City’s Central Park.

So, when we hear the cry that there are “too many people” here or there, we should ask, “Too many people for what?” It is all relative to the culture and the economy of the place. Those are the things we should be working to change, if necessary, not the number of people.

Vincenzina Santoro is an international economist in New York City. She represents the American Family Association of New York at the United Nations.

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Comments (4)

• Petunia

"So, when we hear the cry that there are “too many people” here or there, we should ask, “Too many people for what?” It is all relative to the culture and the economy of the place. Those are the things we should be working to change, if necessary, not the number of people."

First of all, we do not blame the problem on "having too many people" per se but the effect of having such a condition. True that it is relative but we cannot just totally ignore the effect of population on a locale's economic growth. The primary thing we have to look at here is the amount of resources available in a particular place since this will dictate the population that that area could support. The author's main example for a densely populated place is Monaco but she failed to consider the fact that Monaco's economy is booming due to the many hotels and casinos in that area. With the amount of money put in by rich tourists and richer locals, there is no doubt that Monaco could support its population. And then Mongolia... Well most of it is dry, non-arable land. Second, it's landlocked. These geographical features all prove to be major obstacles for economic growth. Hence, poverty. Using the most populous countries as example, is also not exactly valid since most of these have gargantuan land areas. Thus, the population density of that country will not be totally reflective of the actual condition in major cities where overcrowding is actually proving to be a threat on resources.

Totally ignoring "the number of people" factor is both arrogant and foolhardy. When considering global wellbeing, one cannot just tease out and eliminate a certain component just because it does not sit well with one's beliefs. More objectivity is needed in these situations. Especially since the sake of the entire world and all of humanity are at stake.

• Dr Susan Moore

Fascinating observations, with a factual grounding most of us lack.
This issue is certainly being discussed by older Australians, who expect a huge, worrying influx of migrants or would-be migrants from world trouble spots. They are worried because of our water and drought problems. We're the hottest continent on earth, and despite our land size (similar to America's) we have many unpopulated desert regions. Demographic issues like these figure in long-term calculations.

• Rob De Witt

The world population (6,793,593,686 on New Years,) if miraculously moved to Texas, would result in a population density of 25,292.5 souls per square mile, or somewhat greater than 1/3 as dense as the current situation in Manhattan, which amounts to 70,994.75 strivers per mile.

The same Chicken Littles shrieking about overpopulation are busily constructing fantasies about the invasion of other planets while lacking the imagination to explore Utah.

• George Bartholomew

Thinking of Petunia's reply, I think that one needs to respect the figures expressing expected population numbers. That's just about it. The rest should be how to educate human capital and inject money for resource mobilisation, then transfer technology and presumably have the people know that good management of their communities MAY lead to peace and well-being. Don't cut down the population. If you would then start with yourself.

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Secret of Annoying Crowds Revealed

Science NOW
by Dave Mosher on April 7, 2010

Push, shout, or politely excuse yourself all you want, but those slowpokes in your way just won't budge. A new study shows a long-neglected reason why: Up to 70% of people in crowds socially glue themselves into groups of two or more, slowing down traffic. What's worse, as crowds gets denser, groups bend into anti-aerodynamic shapes that exacerbate the problem. The study may be a boon to urban planners.

Crowd physicists already understand the effects of bottlenecked entrances, dueling streams of pedestrian traffic, and even "turbulence" in shoulder-to-shoulder mobs. In the past 15 years, this work has led to decent mathematical models that architects, city planners, and pretty much anyone dealing with crowds can use to make their spaces safer and more flock-friendly.

Trouble is, the simulations treat people as independent particles—ignoring our love of sticking in groups and blabbing with friends. Small groups of pedestrians change everything, says Mehdi Moussaid, the study's leader and a behavioral scientist at the University of Toulouse in France. "We have to rebuild our knowledge about crowds."

Moussaid and colleagues videotaped two types of posses in Bordeaux, France, from above: the weekday rush and the weekend stroll. Weekday crowds turned out to be about half individuals and half groups (of two or more), whereas weekend footage showed that 70% of people were in groups. Groups of more than four were rare, leading the researchers to conclude that big groups split into smaller ones. In total, the researchers tracked and measured the intricate movements of more than 4500 French pedestrians—data they crunched to build more accurate simulations of crowds.

The researchers found that socializing groups slowed crowd traffic down by about 17%, compared with models in which pedestrian groups didn't interact. They also reveal today in PLoS ONE, that groups of three or more flex into V and U shapes as crowds get denser, with central group members falling back relative to flanking members. This adds insult to injury for pedestrian traffic that is already gummed up, Moussaid says, but it allows the chitchat to continue. "We're not so different from sheep when it comes to crowding. What sets us apart is social interaction," he says. "Walking backwards is not exactly practical, so we form V and U shapes at the cost of speed."

"I'm in discussion with planners from all over the world, ... and the realistic simulation of [group] effects is one of the hottest topics for application," says Tobias Kretz, a software engineer at PTV AG, a company in Karlsruhe, Germany, that consults planners on traffic mobility logistics. Kretz uses a program called VISSIM to model crowd traffic for his clients, and he says Moussaid's work is precisely what he's been waiting for. "We are definitely planning to include the model in ... VISSIM's simulation of pedestrians and make it globally available for traffic-planning projects."

Applications for improving pedestrian traffic on sidewalks, train platforms, malls, and other public spaces aside, Moussaid says he noticed something else during the work: Renegades who rush around lollygagging pedestrians only make things worse. "You're contributing to chaos," he says. "Crowds are self-organized systems, so when you don't cooperate, the system breaks and you slow everyone down."

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Is commuting dangerous to health?

Bupa investigative news - 16 January 2003
written by Rachel Newcombe, Bupa health news reporter

Daily commuting can prove an unpleasant chore for some people, especially when trains are delayed and overcrowded. Recent reports suggest the strain of regular journeys can have an effect on one's health, causing some people to suffer dangerous levels of stress. But is this really the case, is there anything that can be done to overcome it or is it out of our control?

KEY POINTS
Train commuting is used by thousands of people a year. In fact, figures from the Rail Passengers Council (RPC) reveal that 471,388 people made the regular daily commute to London in 2001.

Recent reports suggest that a university study found commuters had high stress levels causing the RPC to launch research into the situation.

In reality, the University of Nottingham merely reviewed existing stress research and found a lack of information about train stress. Plus, the RPC haven't yet launched a research project, but they are thinking about it.

Experts say commuting can be hard, but can be made better through positive thinking, relaxation and by taking control.

What were the headlines?
Reports relating to train and commuter stress were recently featured in a variety of newspapers and news websites, and within days, the story had made worldwide headlines in countries as far flung as Australia, India and Singapore. Typical UK headlines included, "Packed trains 'bad for health'" and "Commuting is bad for you," while in India and Singapore they wrote, "Overcrowded trains cause high stress," and "Blame them on crowded trains". The majority of reports claimed that a preliminary study carried out at the University of Nottingham had discovered many commuting train passengers were suffering from high levels of stress. As a result, it was reported that the Rail Passengers Council would be funding a much larger study into the matter.

Details of the proposed study were included, telling of how the researchers would measure travellers' heart rates and blood pressure in an attempt to be the first organisation to scientifically record the stress levels of passengers and fully assess the impact of overcrowded, busy trains.

The news stories gave the impression that the study was the result of lengthy plans, was fully finalised and had already been launched or was about to be launched.

"Of course the fact that trains can be crowded, late and not very clean is stressful. When you put people in a confined space, it's a pressure, and trains that are late or dirty add to that. Coping with it is a lot about attitude - we would all love it if all trains were clean, tidy and on time, but they aren't, so we have to adjust our attitude. If you do suffer from a stress-related illness, it's important to pinpoint exactly what it is, then concentrate on treating the condition and reducing the underlying stress." Alyssa Armstrong, Stress management consultant, Bupa Wellness

What is the bigger picture?
Despite these fascinating claims, the reality is rather different.

The Rail Passengers Council (RPC) described the newspaper and website reports as making "a mountain out of a molehill," exaggerating their comments and misreporting their actions. "We haven't actually commissioned research yet," explained a spokesperson. Neither has a full-blown study been carried out by researchers in Nottingham - they merely gathered together information about existing stress studies. "We did ask the University of Nottingham to look at any previous research on stress relating to trains and overcrowding. However, we found out that not a lot of research has been done on this issue," he said.

"We've said on record that there ought to be more studies conducted and we are considering future investigations on the topic. If we do decide to go ahead, we'd be most likely to commission the project to an outside research body. However, we are not conducting a report just yet and nothing is 100 per cent certain," the RPC's spokesperson added.

It's likely the stories arose following a recent inquiry, made up of a committee of MPs, into train overcrowding. The notion that passengers are being crammed into trains like cattle (what the papers referred to as cattle-truck syndrome) was mentioned at the inquiry by John Cartledge, deputy director of the London Transport Users Committee (LTUC). Anthony Smith, director of the RPC also shared his concerns and suggested that the situation should be changed for the sake of passengers.

The idea that commuting is a stressful factor for many people isn't entirely new however, and is backed up by some previous research. A survey produced for the International Stress Management Association's year 2000 National Stress Awareness Day found that 44 per cent of 400 people surveyed thought that rush hour the single most stressful part of their life.

A MORI poll conducted on behalf of Mitel Networks in 2001 found a similar situation, with 41 per cent of workers rating travel as the most stressful part of their job.
What does this mean?

Although the reports don't all paint exactly the same picture, the basic themes about stress are still important.

"I thought this was a really interesting story because clearly you don't have to be Einstein to work out that trains that are delayed, late and crowded are going to cause people stress," noted Bupa Wellness stress management consultant, Alyssa Armstrong.

"It just goes to show that anything on stress seems to be of public interest at the moment. It's probably because it is true that our stress levels are rising, or we perceive them to be, so we're interested to know more," she added.

According to Carole Spiers, chair of the International Stress Management Association (ISMA), "Commuting certainly puts pressure on individuals, there's no question of that." However, she believes it can be overcome. "People can control their pressure levels, so therefore it's not really the situation in itself - commuting - that's the problem, it's one's attitude towards the situation."

ACTION POINTS

• If you think you could have a stress-related illness, consult your GP or a stress counsellor.
• If you feel stressed while travelling, try simple relaxation techniques and positive affirmations.
• Rather than thinking negatively, try to be positive and make the most of the situation.
• Think about how you can practically use the time spent travelling - by working, reading a good book or listening to music.

What does this mean to me?
If you're concerned about the effects of daily commuting or are worried about feeling stressed, the advice from experts is to not panic, as it can be avoided.

For stressed-out travellers, says Alyssa Armstrong, "The sooner you accept the service is quite likely to be poor, late and crowded, then you'll be a lot better off. You won't be disappointed and you won't feel so stressed about it."

"It's also really important to concentrate on relaxation," adds Alyssa. She believes simple exercises are ideal and can easily be carried out without anyone else knowing. The idea is to focus on your breathing by taking full relaxed breaths and then gradually relax all the muscles in your body, particularly the eyes, jaw and forehead where a lot of stress can be held. When you're fully relaxed she suggests silently saying affirmations to yourself, such as, "Even though this is uncomfortable, in the scheme of things it's really not that bad," or "I do this commute and accept it as part of a job I love."

Other practical ways of coping, suggests Carole, include, "planning your time and using it effectively to your own benefit".

If you do end up suffering from a stress-related illness the Mental Health Foundation says that it's important to seek professional help.

"Stress manifests itself in a lot of different ways and the treatments are as varied as the illnesses," says Alyssa. Types of help include stress management techniques, complementary therapies - such as counselling, hypnotherapy or aromatherapy - and, in some cases, medication.
Summary

Stress can be a key concern for commuters, but while travelling can be an unpleasant experience, it's a necessity for many. Simple changes to attitude could make a vast difference, but if stress does become a problem, professional help is at hand.

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Commuting stress may worsen health woes

Getting sick of long rides on the train
Study: Commuting stress may worsen health woes
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
BY JUDY PEET
Star-Ledger Staff

For years, the prevailing New Jersey commuter philosophy has been: When the driving gets tough, the tough get a railpass.

But commuting by train is also stressful, according to a new study that found the longer the rail commute, the higher the strain. With every passing mile, there is an impact not only on physical and psychological well-being, but also on the ability to complete simple tasks, the study concluded.

"With this study, we are suggesting that the stress of long train commutes may pose a similar health problem," added Wener, who commutes by train every day from his Maplewood home to his classes in Brooklyn. "Trains are not as stressful as cars at rush hour, but even a relatively minor stressor, several hours a day, every day of the year, can build to a health risk."

New Jersey commuters were studied because rail commuting here is "worse than in most places," Wener said. The expansion of suburbia here also means the average rail commute is getting longer and longer.

Sitting on the train last night, returning from a hard day in Manhattan, few commuters were surprised at the study results.

"Of course the ride is stressful; everybody is pretty much in a daze after they get off the train," said accounting firm manager Mike D'Angelo, whose commute between Denville and Manhattan takes about 70 minutes. "If I could afford to move closer, like to Summit, of course I would."

Food buyer Joseph Cammarta, who commutes to New York from Dover, complained that the seats are too tight and passengers are jammed between bags, but added that the real bother "is cell phones. That's where the stress comes in."

The researchers studied 208 commuters taking trains from New Jersey to Manhattan on the Midtown Direct line. The subjects, who ranged in age from 25 to 60, commuted at least three days a week and had been on the same route for at least 12 months.

The trips ranged from 59 minutes, door-to-door, to 104 minutes.

The participants were about evenly split between men and women, but of similar education and socio-economic backgrounds. Eighty percent were college graduates, and the median income approached $100,000.

Wener and Gary Evans, a professor of environmental analysis at Cornell University, used several methods to evaluate stress levels.
The commuters' saliva was tested for the stress hormone cortisol at the end of the commute, and, for comparison, during a weekend at home. The commuters and their spouses also filled out questionnaires rating their stress levels, and the riders were asked to proofread a simple office memo at the end of a long commute.

The study found that average cortisol levels rose in direct proportion to the length of time on the train. People who had a 100-minute commute had, on average, more than three times the cortisol levels of people who had only a 60-minute commute.

The ability to pick up errors proofreading declined in a similar pattern, the researchers found. Self-reporting responses supported the increased frustration and irritability of the long commute.

"Ethnicity, profession and gender didn't seem to matter, although mothers with children at home had the highest stress levels," Wener said, adding that the study sponsored by NJ Transit did not take into account factors such as train conditions, seat locations or train changes.

Wener said the potential impact on work productivity following a long commute "should be of concern to employers and infrastructure planners."

New Jerseyans are tough, however, and a number of passengers polled by The Star-Ledger simply shrugged and agreed with Larry Sobol, a financial adviser from Morristown, who said: "Deal with it."

That does not mean they don't have suggestions. The overwhelming favorite was to take out the middle seat. People would rather stand than sit there.

Other rider suggestions included more cars, more space, electric hookups and wireless Internet connections on the cars, better lighting, club cars and better notification of train delays at the stations.

NJ Transit spokesman Dan Stessel said the agency is making several improvements that passengers have requested.

He noted 234 new cars are expected to go on line beginning later this year, with better amenities, better lighting and, best of all, no third seat.

Critics noted, however, there will not be enough new, amenity-filled trains, and most riders will still be forced to use the old, crowded cars. They said the pace of improvement is too slow and it will be up to commuters to manage their stress.

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More on commuting and crowding

UoN: Let the train take the strain?

london.gov.uk: Too close for comfort on the London Underground
Report: here

Times Online: Railways hitting capacity limits, say companies

Times Online: Railways reaching peak of capacity

Times Online: How to beat stress on that ‘crush hour’ train to work

The Guardian: Report says tube travel makes Londoners more aggressive

The Guardian: French commuters are the envy of us all

The Guardian: Crush on train led to loss of baby

The Guardian: Rail overcrowding sparks safety probe

The Guardian: 'There is no hell but this'

The Guardian: 'Lack of information can turn a passive crowd into a stampede'

The Guardian: Rail misery? It's one long party on my train

The Guardian: Holidaymakers face summer of chaos on Britain's failing railways

The Connexion: Companies hit by commuting stress

The Chronicle Online: Angst and the rail commuter: longer the trip, greater the stress, study finds

The San Diego Union-Tribune: Spitting image of road stress

Times Online: How to beat stress on that ‘crush hour’ train to work

Industry Market Trends: Reduce the Stress of Your Commute

EzineArticles: 10 Ways to Reduce Commuting Stress

The Associated Press: Commuting times get shorter

The Associated Press: Commutes Now Longer, Lonelier, Analysis Finds

The Associated Press: Commuter trends show more early birds, longer rides

The Associated Press: More drivers are making solo commutes

The Portland Online: Carpooling, Motherhood and Stress

Morning Star: Tube crowding 'causes ruthless attitude'

Mail Online: £35bn upgrade by Network Rail 'will make trains run on time and end over-crowding'

Mail Online: Commons motion in attempt to end rail crowding

Mail Online: Is your rail journey really necessary?

Mail Online: Filthy and overcrowded, the verdict on our trains

Mail Online: Commuters face more packed trains as Government changes definition of 'overcrowding'

Mail Online: Rail White Paper 'must address overcrowding and punctuality', demands watchdog

Mail Online: MPs slam 'trauma' of public transport

Health & Science Blog: Commuting to work can be good for your health

Los Angeles Times: Commuting to Work Above the Madding Crowd, Via Helicopter

Personnel Today Magazine: Floods could bring wave of homeworking

BBC News: Commuting is 'biggest stress'

BBC News: Web poll to probe commuter stress

BBC News: Commuter stress? Just plan better

BBC News: 'It's a war on commuters'

NTU: Study to target root of commuting stress

Herald Sun: Commuting on public transport 'too stressful'

RAC Foundation Blog: Commuting…the stress continues but help is at hand

Monitor on Psychology: Longer train commutes are more stressful, study finds

BusinessWeek: Extreme Commuting

GOOD Blog: Understanding The Commuting Paradox

ecovelo: The Commuting Paradox

Safe Workers UK: Effects of Long Commutes to Work

Annals of Transport: There and back again

bizjournals: Commuting survey

The Frontal Cortex: Commuting

BBC News: Average commute 'now 139 hours'

IET: The commute to hell and back

The Guardian: Balancing work and life. Some people commute hundreds of miles to work, some even live abroad.

Transport Visions: Long Distance Travel

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Tube overcrowding creating 'ruthless' travellers

Source: itnnews - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPWhK6P79Tc

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Tube Overcrowding 2 December 2009

The Telegraph: Tube overcrowding creates 'dog eat dog' commuters
Overcrowding on the Tube has created a ruthless, survival-of-the-fittest mentality among passengers, a report claims.

''Dog-eat-dog'' travellers sometimes suspend normal behaviour to grab seats at the expense of pregnant women and people carrying babies, the report from the London Assembly found.

Some passengers have to psyche themselves up to prepare for the ''struggle to clamber on board, with 80% of those surveyed for the report experiencing ''discomforting overcrowding'' on the Underground. Other travellers ''shut down'' by listening to music and ignoring other passengers.

The report also found that more than half of the 716 people polled were sometimes unable to board the first train because of the overcrowding.

The report also criticised what it described as the ''chaotic'' Tube Jubilee line upgrade which has seen sections - and sometimes the whole line - shut at weekends.

The report, from the London Assembly's transport committee, highlighted passengers' ''coping strategies'' for dealing with the daily commute. These included:

:: Mental preparation - psyching oneself up for the ''struggle to clamber on board'';

:: A dog-eat-dog or survival-of-the-fittest attitude;

:: Suspension of the normal codes of behaviour - for example, going after a seat regardless of who else might want it, ignoring pregnant women and people carrying babies;

:: Adopting a Tube persona, more ruthless and selfish. One passenger said: ''I'm a different animal on the Tube to normal life. I'm not me. I'm a bit less interested in others.''

:: Switching off/shutting down - ''going into an automatic pilot routine'', listening to music, turning one's back;

Making sacrifices one would not usually consider - for example, losing personal space and comfort to be at a meeting on time;

:: Deliberately going the wrong way for one or two stops in order to get a seat.

The report took evidence from the Madrid metro system where upgrade work involved far fewer line closures than has been the case with the Jubilee line.

The transport committee's chairman Caroline Pidgeon said: ''Our report highlights shocking levels of overcrowding on the Tube and the impact this has on people. London Underground cannot be complacent about finding ways to make the situation more bearable.

''We are also calling for new thinking on how Tube upgrade work is managed. We cannot have a repeat of the way the Jubilee line upgrade works have been handled when it comes to upgrading other lines. There is an assumption that seemingly endless line closures are inevitable but, as our report and the evidence from Madrid shows, this is simply not the case.''

A Transport for London spokesman said: ''The committee rightly acknowledges that more and more people are travelling on the Tube which is why it is so crucial that we deliver the much-needed improvements.

''We are spending billions to increase capacity on the Tube by 30% in what is the biggest investment in decades.

''This will mean more trains, able to carry more passengers, with faster journeys and larger stations.

''Even today, the improvement in reliability means that more people are carried on the Tube compared with three years ago with no additional crowding caused.

''With new trains running on the Victoria line, the opening of a new ticket hall at King's Cross St Pancras and the first new air-cooled train due to enter service on the Metropolitan line by next June there are tangible improvements for customers.''

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BBC News: Tube crowds 'at shocking levels'

"Shocking" levels of overcrowding on the Tube network means passengers often have to psych themselves up to travel, a London Assembly report has claimed.

More than 80% of Tube users said they experienced "overcrowding which caused them discomfort", the study suggested.

It called for a "traffic-light" system in ticket halls so people can judge exactly how packed the trains will be.

Transport for London (TfL) said it was spending "billions" of pounds to increase space on the Tube network.

"This will mean more trains, able to carry more passengers, with faster journeys and larger stations," a spokesman said.

The report said some passengers developed a ruthless "dog-eat-dog" mentality when boarding trains because they knew it would be difficult to find a seat.

Sometimes they would grab seats at the expense of pregnant women and adults carrying children, it added.

Others came up with "coping strategies" to deal with the lack of space, such as listening to music or turning their backs on fellow passengers so they would not see the crowded carriage.

Some admitted they had to psych themselves up for the "struggle to clamber on board", while others said they had to make sacrifices - such as a loss of comfort - to ensure they arrived at work on time.

Caroline Pidgeon, the London Assembly member who chairs its transport committee, warned TfL that it must not be "complacent about finding ways to make the situation more bearable".

The report also criticised the "chaotic" upgrade of the Jubilee Line extension, which has resulted in sections of the line being closed for whole weekends several times in recent months.

"We are calling for new thinking on how Tube upgrade work is managed," Ms Pidgeon said.

"We cannot have a repeat of the way the Jubilee line upgrade works have been handled when it comes to upgrading other lines."

A TfL spokesman said the committee "rightly acknowledges that more and more people are travelling on the Tube, which is why it is so crucial that we deliver the much-needed improvements".

"We are spending billions to increase capacity on the Tube by 30% in what is the biggest investment in decades.

"This will mean more trains, able to carry more passengers, with faster journeys and larger stations."

He pointed to new trains on the Victoria Line, a revamped ticket hall at King's Cross underground station and the promise of air-cooled trains on the Metropolitan Line next year as "tangible improvements for customers".

The survey conducted by the assembly talked to 716 people in September.

The assembly also commissioned Andrew Irving Associates to conduct detailed focus groups with 57 commuters on how they coped during the rush hour.

Responses from BBC's readers on tube overcrowding: http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/london/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8389000/8389376.stm

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theage.com.au: It's 'dog eat dog' on London's overcrowded Tube: report

Chronic overcrowding on London's Tube network turns people into animals who adopt a "dog eat dog" attitude to fellow passengers, according to a report released Tuesday.

Travellers ignore pregnant women or parents with babies in a "survival of the fittest" atmosphere on the underground train system, which is struggling to cope with never-ending tides of commuters and tourists.

"I'm a different animal on the Tube to normal life. I'm not me. I'm a bit less interested in others," one person told researchers for the study, compiled for City Hall bosses.

The British capital's vast underground network - embodied in the iconic London Tube map, much pored-over by tourists - is a perennial source of grumbling for London's weary workers.

Some parts draw more gripes than others. The Northern Line has the worst reputation, but many others can be hellish at rush-hour, with packed platforms and even more sardine-line trains, often so full that no-one else can get on.

Other examples of how people cope with the daily Tube grind include:

- "Suspension of the normal codes of behaviour - for example, going after a seat regardless of who else might want it, ignoring pregnant women and people carrying babies;

- "Adopting a Tube persona, more ruthless and selfish;

- "Switching off/shutting down - going into an automatic pilot routine, listening to music, turning one's back;

- "Developing strategies to reduce the impact of overcrowding - for example, by going the opposite direction for one or two stops in order to get a seat."

Transport for London, which runs the Tube network as well as London's buses and other travel infrastructure, insisted it welcomed the report.

"More and more people are travelling on the Tube, which is why it is so crucial that we deliver the much-needed improvements," said a spokesman.

"We are spending billions to increase capacity on the Tube by 30 percent, in what is the biggest investment seen in decades. This will mean more trains, able to carry more passengers, with faster journeys and larger stations."

But the report's authors said: "The overwhelming majority of passengers perceive the experience of overcrowding as a highly unpleasant and abnormal situation... Some commuters are left feeling tired and stressed out.

"It can take an hour or two to calm down," it said.

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Extreme Commuting: Not Exactly the Sporting Life

March 31, 2005
Original post: Jon Coppelman

There is a relatively new phenomenon for a growing number of working Americans: extreme commuting. According to Business Week, 3.4 million Americans have a commute to work that takes 90 minutes or longer each way. Fueled by outrageous inflation in housing prices, American workers find themselves driving until they qualify that is, driving out from their jobs until they reach a community where they can afford a house. The Blue Ridge Mountains have become a bedroom community of Washington, D.C., New Hampshire is now an exurb of Boston, and Modesto, Calif. is an outpost of Silicon Valley. (If you are interested in learning where your state ranks for extreme commuting, check out the chart in this USA Today article.)

The average commute in America is still only 25.5 minutes. In the not-too-distant past, people drew the line at 45 minutes. But economic necessity has caused that number to double, with no end in sight. When you combine tremendous commuting distances with the inevitable congestion as you near centers for employment, you have a recipe for serious anguish.

The Business Week article tells the story of a Whirlpool employee who crosses a time zone to get to his job. Waking at 3 a.m., the employee drives 105 miles from Chicago's West Side to company headquarters in Benton Harbor, Mich. During the drive he conducts business on his cell phone. He started the job with a brand new Range Rover, racking up 62,000 miles in the first year. Now he drives an $84,000 Mercedes sedan. My question for the employee, and his deep-pocketed employer, is whether his prolific cell phone use puts this employee at higher risk for an accident and if so, is the employer comfortable with this open-ended liability?

Commuting Stress and Workers Compensation
So are all these stressed out commuters ripe for workers compensation claims? Under most state laws, they are not. Comp does not ordinarily cover the to and fro of commuting. Coverage generally begins when you get to your workplace and ends when you leave it. Indeed, the state of Missouri recently changed its to and fro rule to eliminate coverage for drivers in company cars, closing the loop on an unusual and ill-advised definition of working.

Indeed, not only are most extreme commuters not covered by comp, the stress of their (non work-related) commute is so great, they are unlikely to qualify for any comp stress claim because they will be unable to prove that work comprises at least half of the stress in their harried lives! The stress of their commute is likely to dwarf any stress that occurs in the workplace.

Some employees may be covered by workers comp during the commute. If people routinely take work home, using their homes as an office, in some states the definition of the workday may expand to incorporate their commute. For these workers, and for on-call workers, coverage may be door to door. Nevertheless, even if they are working while commuting, they will face a very high standard to establish that any serious stress problems are work related.

For those of us fortunate enough to face a modest and possibly even pleasant commute each morning, let's take a moment to sympathize with our fellow workers who face the challenges of extreme commuting. It's no sport and it's no fun. Here's wishing that their next job involves a five minute walk up the street.

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