Standing room only?

I really had to read this twice to make sure it wasn't a joke.

From the NY Times Article, One Day, That Economy Ticket May Buy You a Place to Stand:

The airlines have come up with a new answer to an old question: How many passengers can be squeezed into economy class?

A lot more, it turns out, especially if an idea still in the early stage should catch on: standing-room-only "seats."Airbus has been quietly pitching the standing-room-only option to Asian carriers, though none have agreed to it yet. Passengers in the standing section would be propped against a padded backboard, held in place with a harness, according to experts who have seen a proposal.

UPDATE: The Times has issued a correction that states that this idea was abandoned in 2003. Nevertheless, it is amazing that they ever considered it. And one never knows ...