This week, The National celebrated the five-year anniversary of the Dubai Metro with a package of stories on the history and development of the system.

In retrospect, it is hard to imagine what road traffic in that city would be like, without the rail lines that run parallel to major highways.

Dubai already is nightmarish to drive around. Add in another 500,000 daily commuters — the average number of travelers on the Metro, and the city would be gridlocked.

Dubai previously had been a city even more intimately connected with motor vehicles than anything in California. It was the only way to get around, the city being quite dangerous for bicycle riders and impractical for walkers.

That said, the Dubai Metro has a few issues that can stand to be addressed, and metro etiquette is No. 1.

People from countries that have rail transport inside their major cities often are put off by the pushing and shoving that goes on regularly on the Dubai Metro.

As the “etiquette” story began:

“The doors to the train slide open but before the traveling passengers can properly disembark, they are pushed back by a tide of people trying to get on board.

“The scene is a familiar one, repeated at dozens of the busiest Dubai Metro stations across the Red and Green lines. It is also one of the key etiquette issues that officials have been trying to tackle for more than two years.”

People who have ridden the London Underground or the Paris Metro or even New York’s subway grasp that certain social niceties need to be observed on public transportation for it to 1) be most effective and comfortable and 2) avoid fistfights.

As the story notes, waiting for commuters to exit before new passengers enter is absolutely key. It actually saves time, as well as avoids the pushing and jostling that goes on.

In Paris, areas are marked just to the left or right of where doors open, showing boarders where to stand. And those usually are respected.

Not so in Dubai, which makes the process more difficult.

That story sparked some reaction from readers. One wrote a letter calling for better behavior.

“As you describe in your story, the etiquette I’ve encountered on the Metro has been horrible. This is the only place I’ve been where people push to get on the train without letting the passengers off first. I don’t see how more carriages would solve this problem – people need to learn Metro etiquette and use common sense.”

Another addressed what may be seen as “cultural” issues involved when people from all over the world ride the same crowded trains.

“In general, I agree that etiquette is really bad particularly when dealing with rush hour at some of the busiest stations. There are ways to avoid this, such as travelling in Gold Class or outside of rush hour on the busiest routes, but a good metro system should accommodate this much more consistently. I am glad that the issue of eye contact and staring is being addressed. It is really disturbing in a crowded public space.

“However, the article fails to mention a particular habit that is crucial to crowded public spaces: personal hygiene. This is not to say everyone has to wear expensive pungent perfumes, which can also be a problem, but the mixture of personal body odour and last night’s dinner can become utterly unbearable when multiplied in a concentrated area like a Metro carriage.”

Which prompted an editorial in The National noting that a country in which people from scores of cultures manage to get along, nearly all the time, has issues to address in the crowded spaces of the Dubai Metro.

I have used the Dubai Metro more than once, and it’s not my first choice in getting around — though it makes good sense during rush hour, as long as your destination isn’t some large distance from the station.

Beyond the times when the Dubai Metro is crowded, my other observation/complaint would be the distance between stations and the length of time it takes the train to get to the next station.

A ride of six stations, on several parts of the two lines, can take a half hour.

A ride of six stations in Paris, for instance, is more like 12 minutes.

Paris is, of course, much more compact than Dubai, which is the epitome of urban sprawl — even with so many skyscrapers.

On the whole? Dubai Metro: Great idea.