Encoxada Bus 2021 |top|

In the lexicon of urban transit, few words carry as much raw, uncomfortable weight as encoxada . Derived from the Catalan encoxar ("to press with the chest"), the term describes the all-too-familiar ritual of packed bus commutes — bodies compressed, boundaries blurred, and personal space reduced to a memory.

One victim, interviewed by El País in November 2021, said: "I used to love the independence of taking the bus. After the encoxada in March, I now take three different Uber rides to work. It’s bankrupting me, but I can't feel someone's belt buckle on my back again." encoxada bus 2021