If I get on the el before 7:15am (or in the afternoon, before 4:30pm) I can usually get a seat. But the seats are just too small for many, many people. So often you're squished inbetween 2 people and you can't even move your arms enough to, say, get your phone out of your purse. (Which can be fine; I look at my phone enough and sometimes I use the el ride to just silently count my breathing).

Don't get me stared on bad etiquette like people putting their belongings on the seat next to them. Or the guy who literally took up THREE seats with his belongings.