Falling down escalators like dominos?

Factual Questions
1

Suppose that a person at the top of a packed escalator for a far-underground metro station were to take a flying leap back–do you suppose everyone would simply fall down like dominos? Anyone have practical experience?

2

Escalator mishap injures people at Toronto train station (Nov 11, 2006)
Here’s a video report on the mishap.

3

[QUOTE=Squink]
Escalator mishap injures people at Toronto train station (Nov 11, 2006)
QUOTE]

Wow. Now I know:
One week in mid-November is “Escalator saftey awareness week”.

Also - anyone ever use a slinky on an escalator?

4

You have to watch out for those escalators - they’re dangerous. This kid fell five stories after deciding to sit on the handrail of the escalator. But the only thing between him and a 5-storey drop was the handrail, and when he lost his balance he went right over.

5

There was once this power outage at the mall next to my home. 37 people were trapped in the escalators. I take the stairs ever since.

ADDED: and in all seriousness, at the exit of big sporting events, the ushers stop the flow into the escalators at intervals to allow for some empty segments. I presume this is out of concern for precisely the OP domino effect. I think it would take a very tightly packed escalator and it wouldn’t be a cartoon all-the-way-down domino fall, but I can easily see a person falling and dragging down a few others.

6

When the power goes off, isn’t an escalator pretty much converted to a stairway? How were these people trapped?

7

I think they are more in danger of suffering from an open-air whoooooooosh

8

I seem to have missed my flight. :wink:

9

I read this 5 minutes ago and I am still laughing like an idiot. Thanks for falling for it.