# Moving sidewalks in airports **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 21, 2019, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-sidewalks-in-airports/845189 "2019-12-21T19:45:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2019, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-sidewalks-in-airports/845189/61 "2019-12-24T20:03:37Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > Never seen that at BART - shutting off escalators because people are sheep. > > Usually, if the escalator is off, it’s because it’s broken, which is sadly not uncommon. I’ve heard right wing rants then it’s because of homeless people using them as toilets. No idea if it’s true. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2019, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-sidewalks-in-airports/845189/62 "2019-12-24T21:19:24Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Oops. We have conflicting answers! Compare Posts #13 and #29. It’s stand on the right. Check out this image, for example: [https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article7775329.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/Holborn-Station.jpg](https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article7775329.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/Holborn-Station.jpg) I can’t find a similar image for the travelators at Heathrow but there are plenty of images of people walking on the left and standing on the right on them, and that is the rule. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2019, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-sidewalks-in-airports/845189/63 "2019-12-25T06:59:35Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Oh, poo. I always like Sky Harbor as the name for an airport much better than [Some Dead Politician] Airport. I like the name Sky Harbor because it goes nicely with the arid nature of that bit of country. They can’t have a regular harbor with boats because it’s a desert, so they have a sky harbor with planes instead. Oh, and I usually walk on the flatscalators, but if I’m tired or being lazy, I’ll stand to tge right. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2019, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-sidewalks-in-airports/845189/64 "2019-12-25T14:04:30Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > I’ve heard right wing rants then it’s because of homeless people using them as toilets. No idea if it’s true. Wait a minnit. Taking a dump on a _moving_ escalator is easier than on a stationary one? O-o-o-kay. ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2019, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-sidewalks-in-airports/845189/65 "2019-12-29T19:40:41Z")
I seem to recall riding one at SFO last time I flew back from Ilopongo in 2002. Have they improved since? ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2019, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-sidewalks-in-airports/845189/66 "2019-12-29T19:54:04Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > I like even better the underground shuttle-trains they have at Sea-Tac airport. > > Questions: Do they have moving sidewalks at airports in England? Do you stand to the left and pass on the right? Yes of course we have them, we’re so up with the 20th century. But we stand on the right and walk on the left. At least, anyone who has ever lived in London does, where hogging the escalator is a capital offence. For everyone else, I’m not entirely sure there’s a rule about it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2019, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-sidewalks-in-airports/845189/67 "2019-12-29T20:21:53Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I view them like escalators. Stand on the right, pass on the left. I usually walk briskly on them and pass people, but I rarely have any trouble doing so. > > (Also, this is a good time to note that if an escalator is crowded to capacity, it’s actually better if everyone stands. A standing person takes less space than a person walking up the escalator, so the total thru-put is higher if everyone stands as close to each other as they can bear. Of course, few escalators are packed to capacity, and normally it’s fine to pass on the left.) Yep. Stand on the right, walk on the left. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2019, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-sidewalks-in-airports/845189/68 "2019-12-30T05:36:42Z")
I walk on them because I enjoy the sensation of moving faster than normal. It’s fun! During the few times I stand (because I’m tired, my foot hurts, or whatever), I always press as far to the right as I can so others have room to get by me. Blocking the whole thing is just rude. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2019, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-sidewalks-in-airports/845189/69 "2019-12-30T16:05:21Z")
Jax airport has two terminals each with an itty bitty moving sidewalk that basically take you from the food court area to the gates. I’ve never seen anyone use them but I guess it would help some folks who tire easily. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2019, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-sidewalks-in-airports/845189/70 "2019-12-30T17:24:03Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Oops. We have conflicting answers! Compare Posts #13 and #29. galen ubal at #13 was talking about Australia, where the convention is to stand on the left. It’s stand on the right in London. > [@](#): > > The first escalators installed in the London Underground at Earl’s Court station used the design patented by Charles Seeberger. These did not let the passengers dismount in the direction of travel, as currently. Instead, a diagonal partition shunted them off to one side while the stairs disappeared under the partition. The side chosen for disembarkation was the left hand side and this is the origin of their convention that riders should stand on the right, so that the walking riders would not have to cut into a standing line of people to exit. > **[Escalator etiquette](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escalator_etiquette)** > > Escalator etiquette is the etiquette of using escalators. In many places, there is a convention that people should stand on a particular side to allow other people to walk on the other side. Standing on the right is the most common convention, following early escalator design in London. In the 21st century, there have been campaigns for standing on both sides for reasons of safety or to increase capacity. > The first escalators installed in the London Underground at Earl's Court station used the d... ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2019, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-sidewalks-in-airports/845189/71 "2019-12-30T18:26:53Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > I always have so much time at airports there is no point running along the damn things. I rarely use them as I want some exercise after a long flight. Hoisted on my own petard. Running through Helsinki airport to catch a flight to Oslo I was clutching my pants so they didn’t fall down. I didn’t have time to put my belt back on. We made the plane. Pity our luggage didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2019, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-sidewalks-in-airports/845189/72 "2019-12-30T19:22:15Z")
Detroit’s McNamara terminal is almost a mile long. After passing through the TSA check, I get dumped at the middle of the terminal. If my gate is halfway down to either end and I’m in a hurry, I get on the walkway and walk at a very brisk pace. If my gate is way down at either end, I’ll take the train that runs the length of the terminal. I almost always arrive at the airport with plenty of time to spare before my flight, so I’m rarely in any kind of hurry. I often take a particular flight that departs from a gate at the SW end of the terminal. So I get through security, walk to the NW end of the terminal (away from my gate), buy a sandwich, and then walk all the way to the SW end to catch my flight. It’s a good opportunity for physical exercise (prior to sitting motionless for several hours), and it’s also a mildly entertaining mental exercise to navigate around slower pedestrians. On returning home, the general goal is to get out of the airport as rapidly as possible, so I use the moving walkways and walk at a brisk pace - either to baggage claim, or to my waiting ride. I hew to a similar policy when arriving/departing other airports. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2019, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-sidewalks-in-airports/845189/73 "2019-12-30T20:43:14Z")
I walk on them, which effectively shortens the distance I have to walk. I see them as a way to speed up traffic, or to accommodate people who might have trouble walking that distance, but not to accommodate lazy people. Able-bodied people who just park on those are as bad as able-bodied people who push the handicapped button to open doors. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2019, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-sidewalks-in-airports/845189/74 "2019-12-30T21:04:25Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > Able-bodied people who just park on those are as bad as able-bodied people who push the handicapped button to open doors. Pushing the handicapped button to open doors when you’re not handicapped? Pure evil. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2019, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-sidewalks-in-airports/845189/75 "2019-12-30T21:11:13Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > I think Dallas-Love Field was one of the first if not the first airport to have them when they built a new terminal in the late 1950s. At least that’s the impression I got from a now long defunct website that detailed the histories of old and abandoned airport terminals. I’m sure it seemed very futuristic at the time. I googled, because I knew the walking sidewalk at LAX had been there a loooong time. Dallas-Love Field installed theirs in 1958; LAX installed theirs in 1960. There was a nice photo on the site – John Hamm riding along that tiled wall in an episode of _Mad Men_. ---
**Author:** ![Buttercup\_Smith](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buttercup_smith/32/473_2.png) [@Buttercup\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buttercup_Smith)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2019, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-sidewalks-in-airports/845189/76 "2019-12-30T21:52:16Z")
Always walk. It’s a moving sidewalk not a moving standpoint. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2019, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-sidewalks-in-airports/845189/77 "2019-12-30T22:32:17Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > Pushing the handicapped button to open doors when you’re not handicapped? Pure evil. Really? At my apartment building, there’s a revolving door and a handicapped door that opens with a button. There’s no way you’re taking a dog or a big suitcase through a revolving door. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2019, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-sidewalks-in-airports/845189/78 "2019-12-31T01:59:55Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Really? At my apartment building, there’s a revolving door and a handicapped door that opens with a button. There’s no way you’re taking a dog or a big suitcase through a revolving door. I am talking about doors that you can open by pushing, which is true of every door I’ve ever seen that also has a handicap button. (People with both hands busy are exempt from being considered evil.) ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2019, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-sidewalks-in-airports/845189/79 "2019-12-31T02:02:18Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > I am talking about doors that you can open by pushing, which is true of every door I’ve ever seen that also has a handicap button. (People with both hands busy are exempt from being considered evil.) I’m a bit mystified why you take such a dim view of this (I was joking). ---
**Author:** ![PoppaSan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/poppasan/32/189_2.png) [@PoppaSan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoppaSan)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2019, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-sidewalks-in-airports/845189/80 "2019-12-31T02:19:39Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > Pushing the handicapped button to open doors when you’re not handicapped? Pure evil. Only way to get in the front door of my Dad’s ass’d living complex. Side doors at the ends are traditional but the main entrance is handicap button only to get in. Crashbar works for going out. ETA: my PCP office has the handicap motors kick in and assist when you pull the door to open it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-sidewalks-in-airports/845189.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-sidewalks-in-airports/845189.md?page=5)