Taiwanese and Japanese subway culture has it's differences. Japanese culture, you line up, wait for the people to get off, then get on the train in an orderly fashion (unless I tell Chiyo to get me a seat). No cell phones, and anyone who uses one gets stared at by everyone. No eating or drinking, but lots of people do it anyway. Most people give priority seats up to people who need them, but there are jackasses who won't (I've been that jackass a few times).
Taiwanese subways, you line up, as soon as the doors open, rush in. If there is a small space between someone and the person in front of them, dart in and rush into the train. If someone's trying to get off the train, block them so you can get in first. If you use your cell phone, no one seems to mind. No eating or drinking, and if you do, you get fined up to $100. Priority seats seem to mean, I got there first, it's mine.
You have to be a much tougher person to handle a subway ride in Taiwan.
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have you ever experienced the last train out of Shibuya? wow. pretty hectic (bodies pushed up against the doors, times when it was so full my feet did not touch the floor - the conductor sometimes has to push the crowd into the car in order to close the door!), but I absolutely agree overall it's the most orderly train system in the world (probably on par with Germany in terms of orderliness and timliness).
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