Is there a city ordinance prohibiting an adult from using the down escalator to go up the stairs and vice versa? I was in a hurry to catch an El train at the Loyola stop and so, with no other commuters in range, catapulted down the up escalator. Two of the city’s finest were at the bottom of the landing to greet me and ask me about a dozen questions. Mind you, I am over the age of 55 and it’s like 11 a.m. on a week day. After I was grilled by the two officers and forced to produce my identification, I was issued a ticket–which they produced with great alacrity.
Where is the justice? The economy has tanked. I am trying to stay connected with employment as best I can and then, in the midst of all of it all, I am cited for misuse of . . . CTA property? :smack: The fine is something like $50.
Chicago Police have some nerve and thank you, too, CTA!
Which tends to have an effect on things like tax revenues, parking fines, etc. - reason enough for the police to want to stay busy with what scofflaws they can find.
Years ago a friend and I were at the mall, and were so busy talking, we didn’t realize we were at the wrong escalator (down, rather than up, I believe), and were thrown backwards.
Well, what did the ticket say? There must be some sort of regulation stated on the ticket.
I imagine even if there was no one on the escalator when you started down if someone appeared and started up there could be a nasty collision. It may seem unlikely to you but you’re getting into judgment calls but that’s why the obvious rules (don’t go up the down escalator and vice versa) are in place.
I’m sure there’s a long history of teenagers, pranksters, and other idiots playing “look at me” with the escalators, slamming into people, and hurting them. What happens if you’re halfway down, can’t stop, and a parent with a small child steps on, not having looked up because they wouldn’t think they needed to?
And if I’m in the police your catapulting down an up escalator would immediately make me think that you’re fleeing some authority at the top.
I’m glad you got stopped and that you got a ticket. Stupidity is rarely punished so promptly. Or at all.
This doesn’t make any sense. The escalators are usually pretty close to each other, unless it was one of those set-ups where they criss-cross and the entrance to the down escalator was completely on the other side. But if you are going against the direction of the moving escalator, you are traveling a much greater distance than you would have going in the same direction as the escalator.
I would contest the ticket. That is not misuse of the property. I cannot give you legal advice, I am not remotely qualified to do so, but I very much doubt that your actions were illegal. In fact I would complain about the police wasting your time.
Let’s try to focus on the legal aspects of the OP, rather than an evaluation of his behavior on other grounds.
The OP, although in part a rant, does contain a GQ, that is whether or not there are ordinances governing this. I’m leaving it here for the time being; however, I would request posters have a crack at answering the question in the OP rather than advising the poster on what he should have done instead.
If teens were doing it you would be saying “Where are the cops??” Pay your fine.
>I am cited for misuse of . . . CTA property?
You answered your own question. Yes, there’s reckless conduct laws for the CTA. This guy got a CTA over it.
This “question” belongs in the pit or elsewhere.
I can come up with some highly bizarre situations where it may be a safety hazard, but I assure you that for a typical escalator it is no safety hazard at all.
And I am free to drive on the wrong side of the road when safe, yes, and frequently do so - this makes my driving safer
