"lines to even get in the station via BS security"

Yup, at Wudaokou this adds >5 minutes at rush hour.

"Now Shanghai is completely different"

I used to think that, until I started a lot of time in Shanghai. Surprisingly, getting from Hongqiao airport to somewhere in Pudong can be faster by car, even the whole subway journey is on line 2. The difference is not as stark as in Beijing, but it still exists.

"I've shifted my schedule"

Yup. It makes so much sense.