There often are not. There is a single, single-wide escalator up to my office. No stairs. Many of the metro stops have a set of three escalators. Two in the direction of rush hour, one opposite. In theory. Usually one is under repair (for months). If two are broken, then they turn the third off and everyone walks and keeps right.
Usually I would start walking if walkers approached from behind, even if I had intended not walking. However I’ve been injured a few times (achilles, gout, other foot injuries) and the pain was so bad, and my walking pace so slow, that I would apologetically not bother.
If I’m stationary on a one-person-width escalator, and she comes up behind me, and silently accepts not walking, fine. But if she feels the need to berate me about it, or is a passive-aggressive snatch who just sighs loudly in frustration, then she can go fuck herself, deep and on a slant.
Pretty sure there’s a two-person wide one in Macy’s at the Mall of NH, if you’ve ever been there.
Right. I’m just glad I’ve never seen anyone pull that kind of BS at rush hour. If anyone ever did, they’d get pushed down.
I voted “will explain below”. I’d do between 1, 4, or 5. Unless I absolutely MUST, I usually try to avoid going downstairs, the height of most stair risers makes it extremely excruciating for my poor knees. If the escalator is going down, I’m probably not going to move, I don’t care how impatient Mr. CrankyPants is, USE the DAMNED stairs then. Most of the time, they’re right next to the escalators (at least where I use escalators).
If it’s going up and the joints aren’t being too terribly grouchy that day? I will probably walk up. I’ll almost always walk up if the person behind me does NOT approach me aggressively. Mr. I’m-So-Important-Rushy-Rushy-Going-to-Masters-of-the-Universe-Meeting? Oh HELL no. That’s when I’m the most likely to stand my ground.
I don’t cater to bullies.
In the super wide escalators, I think it is fair to move to the right if you don’t wish to walk up the stairs. I do find it kind of rude for a couple to block both sides…my partner and I will both stay to the right (he is having some problems walking at the moment) and allow others to pass by if they wish.
On the narrow escalators, it is luck of the draw and if someone doesn’t want to walk, no big deal.
I have told this story before but it still kind of makes me laugh. I was in Germany and there was a one-legged man with crutches who got on the narrow escalator, but seemed to be anxious about getting off, so he turned around and started walking DOWN the escalator when he got towards the top. Everyone else on the escalator also turned around and was dashing to try to walk down the up escalator. I guess you had to see it, but it was pretty funny to see an entire escalator of polite Germans all frantically trying to go down that up escalator.
Really. You don’t need to get anywhere so quickly you need to push a disabled person to the floor. Ever.
I’ll repeat what I said earlier. The point of escalators is that they move, so people don’t have to climb. I wish people would stop talking about walking.
Missed edit window.
On review…thing is, when I do walk (and especially down) it’s pretty slow (relative to some other walkers, but I can still clip along compared to some others), particularly downstairs, because it HURTS. So what would people do then? STILL “push me down” MOL? What’s next a “you must walk this fast” or you’re a supposed jerk because you’re holding people up? Man, I’m with drhomer and others. I need a “stealth cane” just so idiots have some visual cue and aren’t making snap judgments all of the time on whether or not we “look” physically disabled and therefore deserve not to be harassed.
I know we have this discussion all of the time, and I’m one of the ones who must make this point, but it gets VERY old and annoying to be treated this way on a regular basis.
I just flew to my new office to work for two weeks and this is probably the first time I’ve flown since I got sick that I didn’t have some punk behind me in the TSA line, giving me the evil eye and disgusted glare because of how long it takes me to get my laptop out and shoes off. Not only is it painful (from mild to debilitating depending on the day), but my hands just don’t have the dexterity that I need to do small movements quickly. Not like I used to be able to. Same with walking on uneven surfaces, downhill and on stairs (now, on flat ground, on a good or medium day, I can still go go go). If you think YOU’RE annoyed at how long this takes, imagine living with it for good and for always. We have to deal with it for EVERY single situation and movement in our lives. Hell YES I would love to be able to trot blithely up a set of stairs like I used to be able to do.
The idea that “slower and/or older” means useless is ridiculous, irritating and idiotic.
Healthy adults standing on escalators like lazy lumps is an enormous pet peeve of mine. Escalators are in place to move high volumes of people more efficiently and quickly; to just get on and stand there while you’re taken up or down at a pace 3/4 that of which I approach on a normal staircase is, just, gah.
I recognize that some people have mobility issues which make standing necessary or safer. And of course stroller, toddlers and luggage are a free pass. But every day on my commute I see dozens of able bodied, average people standing on escalators. It’s symptomatic of our culture, that’s for sure.
So I can’t answer the poll because I always walk on escalators. If there are stairs, I take them instead, because I get disproportionately annoyed by people’s behaviors on escalators. But in a lot of places there aren’t stairs alongside (for instance, in the mall adjoining the train station which I traverse on my daily commute). I’m totally the person who will walk up to the point where someone is blocking the way, and then just stand behind them because I’m forced to. If anyone wants to interpret that as ‘pressuring’ or ‘harassment’, well, lol.
:rolleyes:
I disagree!
What if they’re moving really slow?
Years ago, I was standing on an escalator about ten steps below a mother and her preschooler. The little boy turned around and chanted to me, “You can’t catch us. You can’t catch us.”
To this day, I regret not taking at least one step…
from Elevator Escalator Safety Foundation
- No running or walking - stand still.
and
MYTH: If an escalator is standing still, it is just a set of stairs.
TRUTH: Not at all! Escalator steps are not the correct height for normal walking and should not be used in that manner. The risk of tripping and falling is increased.
from a tougher climb
an escalator, in contrast, “is designed as a series of platforms upon which people can stand and feel comfortable,” so the tread is long relative to the rise.
If you have room to pass them, then go for it. If you don’t, then stand still and wait out the ride.
Hari Seldon, if you need to express youself in this way, you’re going to have to do it in the Pit, not here.
And this goes for everyone — we seem to have hit another hot-button issue, as Anonymous Uers alluded to, in the same general subject area as theater seats. If people are unable to elucidate on this subject keeping to the rules of IMHO, you will be warned, officially. Again — if you want to go postal on someone on this subject, for God’s sake open a Pit thread. This is for civil discussion and debate.
Thank you.
I have balance problems and my husband has hip problems and heart problems. It all depends on how we are feeling that day. I would feel bad standing on a single wide escalator while people were walking, but I’d also feel bad I I started walking, lost my balance and fell backwards because the people behind me will be going down, too. If it’s a bad day, it’s better for all if I stand.
If traffic is moving on an up escalator, I climb along with traffic. If traffic is moving on a down escalator, I generally only move if it’s somewhat near the bottom. I get wobbly on escalators (and occasionally stairs). I don’t have the greatest balance at the best of times, and escalators are not the best of times.
Hopefully not with anyone in them! I do see that sometimes. And my friend (ER doctor) sees them sometimes at the hospital after parents send their babies tumbling down the stairs :smack:. WMATA does have elevators, and extra shuttle service if they’re not working at a station.