pack (someone) in like cattle

To manage to fit a lot of people into some space. The airline packs customers in like cattle to keep costs down, safety limits be damned. We were packed in like cattle, but we all managed to fit inside the tiny auditorium for the concert.

packed in like cattle

Fit tightly into some space, as of a large number of people. The airline doesn't care if we're packed in like cattle, so long as they get our ticket fare. My claustrophobia becomes a real problem when I have to navigate a stadium for a sporting event. Tens of thousands of people packed in like cattle—what a nightmare.