# Man, That's Assholish (stopping the escalator in the subway) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 20, 2007, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-thats-assholish-stopping-the-escalator-in-the-subway/419866 "2007-09-20T14:04:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-thats-assholish-stopping-the-escalator-in-the-subway/419866/1 "2007-09-20T14:04:48Z")
Couple days ago on my commute, I stepped off the train to transfer to another line, which is accessed by going to a lower level in the station. You can get there by stairs, elevator, or escalator, and most Metro stations in the Washington area are relatively compact and well-organized – not like the labyrinths that some New York Subway stations are. So, step off the train, there’s an escalator right in front. Only it’s coming up. So, in my commuter’s trance, I am android-marching along the platform. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice a teen-aged couple, sharply dressed in a hip-hop style sort of messing around. The girl comes to the escalator and notices it’s going the wrong way. Oops! So she starts moving down to the next one. Her cool-walking, sideways-cap wearing boyfriend calls her back, reaches down for the “emergency stop” button and _freaking cuts off the escalator_, so he can walk down, and _save himself the trouble of walking 20 feet to the next one_! I pity the next elderly or frail or just plain-tired-at-the-end-of-the-workday commuter who had to freaking walk up the escalator just so Mr. Cool could save himself 10 seconds of walking time. I’d never seen such callous behaviour in the Metro like that. It took me a few minutes to actually realize what had happened. So … um … Fuck. ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-thats-assholish-stopping-the-escalator-in-the-subway/419866/2 "2007-09-20T14:07:20Z")
Damn kids these days. Get off my lawn!!! ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-thats-assholish-stopping-the-escalator-in-the-subway/419866/3 "2007-09-20T14:19:27Z")
There could be two responses to that for me. I’d either find the nearest Metro cop or I’d turn the escalator back on and tell the punk to stuff it if he complained. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-thats-assholish-stopping-the-escalator-in-the-subway/419866/4 "2007-09-20T14:26:42Z")
Whoa. Can’t you get fined for that or something? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-thats-assholish-stopping-the-escalator-in-the-subway/419866/5 "2007-09-20T14:34:38Z")
[QUOTE=Who\_me?] I’d turn the escalator back on [/QUOTE] Is that possible? I’ve never seen an “emergency on” button. But if it was, that would have rocked. What a jerk. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-thats-assholish-stopping-the-escalator-in-the-subway/419866/6 "2007-09-20T14:42:32Z")
Where is Jody Foster when you need her? ---
**Author:** ![susan\_foster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@susan\_foster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan_foster)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-thats-assholish-stopping-the-escalator-in-the-subway/419866/7 "2007-09-20T14:51:50Z")
[QUOTE=DanBlather] Where is Jody Foster when you need her? [/QUOTE] In my apartment, probably curled up on my bed. (Yes, my cat’s name is Jody. No I didn’t name her that - the shelter did. Yes, I am stupid enough that I didn’t make the connection until someone at my vets office mentioned it) Susan ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-thats-assholish-stopping-the-escalator-in-the-subway/419866/8 "2007-09-20T15:12:36Z")
[QUOTE=Who\_me?] I’d turn the escalator back on and tell the punk to stuff it if he complained. [/QUOTE] Don’t know about there, but here the only way to turn them on is someone who is watching the security cameras can press a button to start it. That is an assholish thing to do though, I’ve been on an escalator when they stop and it can really jerk you around because you aren’t expecting it to just _stop_. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-thats-assholish-stopping-the-escalator-in-the-subway/419866/9 "2007-09-20T15:13:46Z")
[QUOTE=susan\_foster] In my apartment, probably curled up on my bed. Susan [/QUOTE] For just a moment I was picutring Susan and Jodi… Excuse me, I’ll be in my bunk. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-thats-assholish-stopping-the-escalator-in-the-subway/419866/10 "2007-09-20T15:16:36Z")
You’ll need a key to start one up, but that is pretty jerkish behavior. ---
**Author:** ![Zambini57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/4491bb/32.png) [@Zambini57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zambini57)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-thats-assholish-stopping-the-escalator-in-the-subway/419866/11 "2007-09-20T15:34:26Z")
I’m sure he only did it to impress his ho. ---
**Author:** ![Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamaika_a_jamaikaiake)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-thats-assholish-stopping-the-escalator-in-the-subway/419866/12 "2007-09-20T15:49:14Z")
One time me and some friends were coming up the escalator at the Moszkva Ter station in Budapest, and it stops. The Moszkva Ter station is 38 meters (124.7 ft) deep, with one escalator. One of my friends had muscular dystrophy, and had a bit of a time getting the rest of the way up. Luckily, we were over half way to the top. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-thats-assholish-stopping-the-escalator-in-the-subway/419866/13 "2007-09-20T15:51:32Z")
[QUOTE=Zambini57] I’m sure he only did it to impress his ho. [/QUOTE] One can only hope she dumped his ass for that stunt. Alas, she probably fucked his brains out for it. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-thats-assholish-stopping-the-escalator-in-the-subway/419866/14 "2007-09-20T17:46:43Z")
[QUOTE=tdn] One can only hope she dumped his ass for that stunt. Alas, she probably fucked his brains out for it. [/QUOTE] He obviously didn’t hae any brains to be fucked out. He was just fucked up. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-thats-assholish-stopping-the-escalator-in-the-subway/419866/15 "2007-09-20T18:01:49Z")
[QUOTE=tdn] One can only hope she dumped his ass for that stunt. Alas, she probably fucked his brains out for it. [/QUOTE] When I got down to the platform, they were still canoodling and giggling, completely oblivious to the rest of the world. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-thats-assholish-stopping-the-escalator-in-the-subway/419866/16 "2007-09-20T19:06:25Z")
This happens all the time around here – kids will stop the escalator just for a lark. Not much to be done about it but tell the station manager so they can turn it back on. Especially irritating when it’s the up escalator, which it usually is. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-thats-assholish-stopping-the-escalator-in-the-subway/419866/17 "2007-09-20T19:32:25Z")
Fucking kids. Seriously people need to stop having kids. People who havbe a kid should be put in jail for 18 years and the kids should be sent to work as farmhands in antartica. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-thats-assholish-stopping-the-escalator-in-the-subway/419866/18 "2007-09-20T19:33:10Z")
If I saw anyone stop the escalator for no reason, he’d be french kissing the third rail about ten seconds later. What? Some people have road rage, I have subway rage. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-thats-assholish-stopping-the-escalator-in-the-subway/419866/19 "2007-09-20T19:37:01Z")
[QUOTE=DianaG] If I saw anyone stop the escalator for no reason, he’d be french kissing the third rail about ten seconds later. What? Some people have road rage, I have subway rage. [/QUOTE] Or you could catch up to him while he’s going down the stairs, place your foot in the middle of his back, and help him down the rest of the stairs. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-thats-assholish-stopping-the-escalator-in-the-subway/419866/20 "2007-09-20T20:25:44Z")
Once in the L.A. subway I saw a lawyer, with one of those enormous lawyerly square document cases, almost the size of a small suitcase and with wheels and a handle. The escalator was stopped, and he struggled all the way up that escalator with that case. And L.A.s subway mostly runs very deep, like 50 or 60 feet below ground. He didn’t think to look for an elevator, poor guy. But shame on me, because I didn’t think to suggest it to him. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-thats-assholish-stopping-the-escalator-in-the-subway/419866.md?page=2)