It sort of depends on who I’m with. Some of my friends walk, some ride. Mostly, I ride–but I must say, it’s never occurred to me to think that walking is the only “correct” way to use an escalator.
I do consistently walk on moving sidewalks in the airport, though.
Depends on where I am. I try to make a point of walking while I’m on an escalator if there’s no one else on it, or if it’s wide enough to get by someone who is off to one side without brushing them. If it’s a public transportation subway, I don’t mind brushing someone to get by them – stand on the right, walk on the left.
But I have my lazy days, too, in which case, I just stand on the right and stay out of other people’s way.
If people are walking, I’ll go with the crowd.
If people are standing, I’ll stand.
If I’m the only one on the escalator, I’ll stand, but stand aside for passers if necessary.
I personally think it should be like the moving walkways in airports… there should be a line down the middle with “walkers” and “standers” sides…
Then again, I’m OCD and love labeling things so it’s clear and obvious…
With my knees walking down stairs is actually more painful than walking up, so unless I’m in a hurry I ride down. Of course, either up or down I always stand to the right so people can get by me.
When I use the moving walkways in the airport I generally walk unless I’m really tired (as happens sometimes after a long trip). The other day I got on one right behind a lady who was holding her rolling carryon in the middle of the walkway. When I said “excuse me” she slid it over a whole inch or two, and as I squeezed past her she started squawking “I’m trying to move it out of your way.” I guess taking a step or two forward so she could roll the cart to the side was too much trouble.
I voted for “a ride, but…” although I’d have preferred to have the option of “a moving staircase, but…”. I much prefer to walk up the escalator, but I have no problem with people standing, as long as they stand to the right. I generally only stand when I’m carrying a bag, and in that case, the bag is either in front of or behind me, and both the bag and I are as far to the right as we can get without dragging on the side. I’m also marginally less inclined to walk *down *an escalator, because I find it slightly disorienting. In that case I’m more likely to search for the stairs if I have time (which brings me to the point that the stairs are not always near the escalator, for all those people who say “just take the stairs”).
Of course, 98% of the time that I’m on an escalator, it’s at a train station, and IMO the rules are different than they are at the mall. The train station is not a destination. Everyone there is there because they need to get somewhere else, and many of those people are in a hurry.
Haha - yah, the “stand right, walk left” rule seems to be taken much more seriously in DC than in most other cities. Gives us a way to spot/mock the tourists. 
Depends. Am I going up or down? Am I in a hurry? Are my knees or anything else bothering me? Do I have a companion who would rather stand? Does the escalator look like this?
I’m totally walking that thing. I’m not interested in dying of old age while standing on an escalator. 
Side note: I was in DC in late August, and holy crap, what was with all the busted escalators at the entrances/exits to the stations? They’re way deeper underground than the Chicago underground L stops are (where we use stairs), so when the escalators are broken, it’s really rough! Hot as hell weather, steps placed too high to be scaled comfortably for long, not to mention that staring at the stripes for that long made my vision swim. More than once I passed an elderly person grasping onto the right rail and waving people past, unable to proceed without a rest.
If people stand right I’m happy - but if the escalator is too narrow to pass comfortably on, then for the love of God move after you’ve gotten off. I hate the tourists in Chicago’s Union Station who are carting a big wheely bag up the escalator, then stop dead at the top and look around like stunned cows. Hello, there are people behind you being propelled upwards and who will soon plow you over because they can’t help it, leading you to probably sniff about how rude Chicagoans are!
Oh yeah, people who stop dead at the top or bottom of an escalator (or, for that matter, the stairs, or upon exiting the train or the elevator or anywhere that they’re blocking the way of the people behind them) deserve to be knocked down, and then stepped on, hard. Just take a friggin’ step to the right, people!
AFAIK it’s both. Riders stand to the right, steppers climb on the left, everyone’s happy.
Practically speaking, there is one escalator in this town–in J. C. Penney’s–and I ride it about twice a year, and it’s not crowded enough to worry about.
A-to the freaking-MEN!
Avoid the log jam; flow down river…
If I’m alone and the escalator isn’t crowded, I generally walk. If I’m with one or more of my kids, or there’s a lot of people on the escalator, I ride. The steps are too big for my kids to navigate safely, and it’s not worth the effort of brushing past everyone if the escalator is full.
Of course, if it’s the escalator of life, I’m riding.
Thirded. Those people are the only reason I’ve ever wished to actually own a cattle prod.
