# Local child loses fingers in escalator **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 9, 2009, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-child-loses-fingers-in-escalator/485092 "2009-02-09T17:23:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-child-loses-fingers-in-escalator/485092/41 "2009-02-10T16:44:21Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > I assure you that you should _not_ try this one in London! As an avid escalator climber-upper, I agree. However, if you’re an adult and your **fear** of escalators leads you to run up them as quickly as possible, you aren’t doing yourself or anyone around you any favors. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-child-loses-fingers-in-escalator/485092/42 "2009-02-10T16:58:27Z")
> [@clayton\_e](#): > > Another one chiming in to say “wtf?” on the parent’s behavior. > > Yes, kids will be kids. In a big department store an 8 year old might go wandering off and do something dumb. If they were born to parents that pushed for some general common sense to be made clear to them that dumb thing will probably not get them hurt badly. > > But to allow 3 year olds to go playing anywhere where the parent isn’t nearby? Some parents seem to have this weird idea that lots of public places like stores are safe and acceptable places for their kids to play without the parent watching them. A lot of them seem to think libraries are also good places for unattended kids to play. They must think that watching unattended kids is part of the job description of the store or library employees, or something. Or not- these same parents often get incensed when a store employee tells their kid “don’t do that”. OK, maybe I don’t really understand what they’re thinking, but this is my best shot at explaining it. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-child-loses-fingers-in-escalator/485092/43 "2009-02-10T22:41:16Z")
As a child, I was always fascinated by escalators and I thought they were much more fun than elevators. I remember figuring out how the sides alternated and intertwined. > [@Guinastasia](#): > > Probably not such a hot idea, I know. But I always want to get off as quickly as possible-I HATE escalators. > > (And to be fair, I don’t really “run”, so much as I just walk up like I would a regular staircase-why not?) Fair enough. But I already had the image of you endlessly falling down the escalator at the same rate as it rose. Funny in a cartoon, not quite as funny in real life. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-child-loses-fingers-in-escalator/485092/44 "2009-02-11T05:12:06Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Okay, but what’s so bad about running? Those things you mentioned in your other post had nothing to do with running up or down the escalator. As long as you step over the part where the escalator goes in at the top or bottom, you should be fine, no? If you trip with the steps moving you are going down hard and the tread plates on a step are sharp. On a down escalator you will end up going head over heals. If you trip a safety, someone hits the srop button, or the power goes off you will go down hard, it is just physics. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-child-loses-fingers-in-escalator/485092/45 "2009-02-11T05:18:59Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Can I at least walk fast? I hate standing there, they’re so slow! I worked on the for 20 years and I walk up escalators all the time. But keep a good hand on the hand rail. Watch your feet. And remember someone can turn it off while you are on it. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-child-loses-fingers-in-escalator/485092/46 "2009-02-11T05:39:28Z")
I love the people who won’t ride an elevator, and ask where the escalators are. I use to think that there was basket neat escalators for people to put their brains in before getting on the escalator. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-child-loses-fingers-in-escalator/485092/47 "2009-02-11T06:11:18Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > As a child, I was always fascinated by escalators and I thought they were much more fun than elevators. I remember figuring out how the sides alternated and intertwined. > > Fair enough. But I already had the image of you endlessly falling down the escalator at the same rate as it rose. Funny in a cartoon, not quite as funny in real life. IS it okay to walk up (or down) an escalator? I really, REALLY hate those things, but there’s no other way to get up or down in most of the malls. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-child-loses-fingers-in-escalator/485092/48 "2009-02-11T07:03:55Z")
> [@Anne\_Neville](#): > > Some parents seem to have this weird idea that lots of public places like stores are safe and acceptable places for their kids to play without the parent watching them. A lot of them seem to think libraries are also good places for unattended kids to play. They must think that watching unattended kids is part of the job description of the store or library employees, or something. Or not- these same parents often get incensed when a store employee tells their kid “don’t do that”. OK, maybe I don’t really understand what they’re thinking, but this is my best shot at explaining it. They aren’t thinking. That’s the problem. Oh, and ask any toy store employee about parents who drop kids off at the store, expecting them to amuse themselves. I myself get royally pissed off at kids running loose in the grocery store, damaging merchandise, running and screaming. Not only are they annoying to most of the other people in the store, but they’re also putting themselves in danger. Last I heard, grocery stores, or any retail stores, were not designed to be playgrounds. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-child-loses-fingers-in-escalator/485092/49 "2009-02-11T14:05:12Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > IS it okay to walk up (or down) an escalator? I really, REALLY hate those things, but there’s no other way to get up or down in most of the malls. There have just about GOT to be elevators somewhere in any public place these days that have esclators or stairs. I’ve never seen a person in a wheel chair forced to use an escalator. If you really hate those things in the places you frequent, ask someone where the elevator is. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-child-loses-fingers-in-escalator/485092.md?page=2)