I, and the half-dozen other people standing on the escalator, owe you an apology for not walking up the steps to shave 2-3 seconds from the 10 second escalator ride. I know it is probably more important for you to get to the top a full 2 or 3 seconds faster than the rest of us–so have at it! Go ahead and bump into us with your backpack, napsack, fat ass, huge rack, elbow, shoulder, clown shoes, trombone case–whatever–we (escalator-standers) don’t mind one bit. Who are we to get in your way? We “standers” don’t understand the importance of adding a few seconds to our lives by ignoring the unwritten laws of common courtesy by barging past others on our way to the “finish line” (a.k.a. the top of escalator). So please, accept our apology as a group of lazy, time-eating non-escalator-walker-uppers.
As long as you stand to the right, I forgive you.
Hmm, well the DC Metro has been putting up “Stand to the Right” signs at several stations, so maybe you should follow that advice. Any reason you can’t stand to the right so people who might actually be in a hurry can pass on the left?
pee_wee… are you standing on the right? If so, then there shouldn’t be a problem.
It’s a little hard to stand to the right on the escalators in my office building. They are only wide enough for one person. Sure, I could press myself up against the right rail, but I don’t think the person behind me will be able to squeeze through that six inch gap.
Man, pee-wee. Can’t ya just feel the love?
Apology accepted. Now git yer ass over to the right!
Single-file escalators are, of course, an exception, and I would never barge past people whilst slapping them with my backpack/huge rack, etc…but I do have to admit that people who just stand in the middle of a normal escalator drive me nuts, Siegfried. You are, of course, not one of those people, I am sure, but their name is legion.
I am one of the people who walks up escalators if no one’s in the way; often I’ll even skip the elevator and just take the stairs if they’re nearby. It’s not because I’m in a hurry; I just don’t like wasting time, and after waitressing for several years in college, it’s nearly impossible for me to keep the “mall-walking pace” that most other people maintain. I’m just used to walking like I’ve got some place to go. 
This doesn’t excuse “mowing down” other people who walk more slowly, of course; I’d never do that. But if you’re walking very slowly, just like driving very slowly, it’s common courtesy to “leave a lane” for people who aren’t.
And I meant Pee Wee, not Siegfried. Oops.
When stairs are an option to escalators, I always choose them. Figure that way I burn off at least enough calories to entitle me to a nice fat cheeseburger and some greasy fries, washed down by a tasty microbrew or 2 and chased by a big bowl of ice cream. Dontcha think?
BTW, I think my pants have been shrinking lately. I need to talk to the drycleaner. They seem to be growing increasingly tight around the waist. Or where I used to have a waist.
When are people going to learn that it’s just plain fun to run up stairs? Maybe we’re not all obsessed with adding time to our life. Wheeee!!!
All the escalators in the subway stations here (and many in shopping malls) have the “Walk Left, Stand Right” signs.
Many office escalators, on the other hand, are pretty much designed to accommodate people in single file, so passing just can’t happen. Barging through on “single lane” escalatos would be pretty annoying.
I stand to the right, but most of the time I’m passing on the left.
I have to admit that I usually walk up the escalator when NOBODY else is on it or in the way. But I refuse to get pushy and pass other people who are standing. I guess my point is that I go with the flow–if people are standing, I’ll stand. Plus there isn’t much room to pass, so why get pushy and be a nuisance to everyone else on the ride up or down?
There’s probably a reason why I posted this in the MPSIMS, eh? Not an earth-shattering topic, but something that annoyed me today (again).
I am one of those people who like to walk up escalators. It’s not that I’m always in a big hurry or anything, I just get antsy sitting still and would prefer to walk. If I’m on a single-ass escalator, or if I’m carrying a bulky load or something, I’ll suck it up and ride. Otherwise, if it’s a two-ass escalator and someone is blocking the way, I feel no shame in politely asking them to step to the right so I can climb while they ride. And if they get huffy because they think I’m a nuisance, well, such is life.
What really toasts my buns, though, are people who block the down escalator, instead of walking (I’m talking relatively healthy and unburdened people, not those with brand-new hips or broken legs or carrying groceries). I mean, how much effort is it to walk down stairs? Hell, gravity is doing most of the work.
I walk up to the point where someone is blocking me, then I just stop and wait. I like walking up (and down) escalators. It feels kinda funky and it’s fun. OK, so I’m weird.
I would like to thank all of the escalator users at the end of the baseball games who push and shove to get into line and in the process push and shove my mom. Mom can’t walk down the stairs and the elevator is very far away, too far for her to walk to… Mom is 77 yrs old (ok not for 7 days, but close enough). I am taking the escalator so that mom can be right behind me so that if anything happens I am there to help her. Dad is beside her.
Also, thank you for pushing that guy with the cane. He almost fell, but you got ahead of him. You are young and time is precious to you. And don’t give me a dirty look when I tell you to be patient, didn’t you notice that the escalator is crowded with people who actually are using it cause they need to. But I understand that it is all about you and we are just ants under your feet.
Someday you too will be old and frail. And payback is a bitch.
If you’re in the DC area, like some who’ve posted in this thread, you’ll note there’s plenty of room for two people to get by without any disruption. They’re plenty wide.
OTOH, there are some escalators in the system that are simply gargantuan. I’ll stand going up Dupont Circle, whose escalator seems to be about 5 stories tall. It’s gifreakingantic.
Actually, this one I don’t mind at all. You wanna ram your huge rack into me, be my guest. Just don’t be suprised if I put my head down and make bubble noises. Or stuff a dollar bill down there
I’d use the “Walk Left, Stand Right” rule on down escalators as well (and I don’t mind if they stand on a narrow escalator).
Actually, I only recently realized that I know quite a few people who are afraid of “down” escalators (I had a wierd early-morning conversation with some friends). My sister, for one, always gets wierded out by down escalators - she says she always feels like she’s leaning forward and is about to fall. She won’t walk down them. Even if the train is pulling into the station and she’s in a hurry. No way. And it’s kind of wierd, because she doesn’t normally have vertigo (she does rock climbing, etc…).
If it’s in the airport and it’s one of those wider escalators, just get the fuck out of my way and don’t be such an obtuse, inconsiderate turd.*
Haj
*of course, this does not apply to the frail or disabled.
Well, I’m glad we can agree on that much, at least.