Japanese metro

I am one of the few fortunate people in Japan that do not have to take the train to go to work. In history class I learned about the old days when people traveled on boats to go every where. The "economy class" folks had to stay on the shipbed for more than a month all crammed in tight. I remember imagining the hell they had to go through. Now this situation on the Japanese metro is sort of similiar. I hope we can look back some day and say those were ridiculous times.