WATCH: New Qingdao subway line offers free rides, complete chaos ensues

Presumably, this is not quite the way that officials were hoping the line’s trial opening would go

Transport officials in the city of Qingdao recently demonstrated again why you should never ever give anything away for free in China.

On Friday, Qingdao Metro’s new Line 11 began its trial run and residents were invited to hop on for free, resulting in subway stations being completely jam-packed full of aunties and uncles, stubbornly pushing and shoving their way forwards, no matter the human cost.

Enjoy a glimpse into hell:

Netizens described the scenes as similar to those of the fights and scrambles over eggs when supermarket doors open in the morning.

They also bear a resemblance to the time that a Henan scenic spot offered tourists a free walk across their new glass-bottomed bridge:

Or when a struggling Shaanxi amusement park offered entry for free:

[Images via Btime.com]