This has bothered me for somewhile, but while traveling last week, it seems like the practice is increasing. I’m talking about standing on the moving walkways in airports. Some airports have addressed this by placing signs “walk left / stand right”. But I am of the opinion, that they have only done that so as not to offend the standers.
The so-called people movers purpose is to speed up travel through the concourse, not to give standers a break. Walking on the outside of the walkway is speedier than the standers on the walkway. These standers also clog up the walkway slowing down travelers attempting to make short connections.
I say ban standing on these walkways. If you need a break…take a seat at anyone of the many gates around you.
I say that if I wanted to walk I wouldn’t be using the machine that does that for me.
Next you’ll be telling me I need to climb escalators two steps at a time and that I should make my car go by sticking my feet through the floorboards and running like I’m on The Flintstones.
There are many people in this world, including those who use airports regularly, who are unable to walk long distances without difficulty, due to age or physical issues; the moving walkways are for them, too.
If they were meant only for walking upon more quickly, there should be signs on them saying exactly that.
Given this, the OP’s opinion feels rather insensitive.
If you have ever had to get to a gate lounge with a load of kit and an armful of toddlers or are travelling with, or indeed are the frail/invalid then the walkways are a boon which gets you to your flight with an improved degree of safety and timeliness.
Whilst able bodied charge up the walkways because their oh so busy lives only function if they are Usain Bolt and the singular function of others is to get out of the way. And then wait in barely concealed contempt at others who have paid the same amount for the same service.
You want primary priority in the airways, buy yourself a Learjet.
The first time I saw those “slidewalks”, they had a notice telling people not to walk on them. I can’t see how that’s changed in the intervening years. My guess is the “walk on left, stand on right” notices are to placate the non-standers.
The moving walks are to help those who cannot walk long distances. Instead of having a subway, bus or other transport, the airport has decide to use a moving walk. Also used quite frequently in subway systems, such as the London Underground.
In Schiphol, it is well marked that people should stand on the right and walk on the left. In many places such signage does not exist. It’s exactly the same discussion which is for escalators. Or even moving sidewalks
That said, it is mildy annoying when standers decide to block the entire width of the walkway, especially with lots of luggage, which will again be annoying when those same people are filling up the overhead bins.
I’ve seen people practically explode with fury if they can’t do a full-tilt sprint along these moving walkways (my wife likes to do a leisurely saunter). Frankly, I think the number of people who miss their plane solely because they can’t run along a moving walkway is very, very small.
And to the OP: approaching the end of my at times too busy airport life and recognising that many people are too slow and have gotten on my nerves I nonetheless must strogly disagree with your suggestion. Standing still while being carried forward is perfectly reasonable.
But I am tempted to Pit the &%*§#§!!! Willy Brand Berlin Brandenburg International Airport, where most of the walkways (and the toilets!) are always temporarily out of order and the security personnel is particularly inept and unfriendly. Looking forward to seeing them very seldom in future!
Bigger problem for me with this (and escalators) is the people who step off at the end, and right therestop to get their bearings, rearrange what they are carrying and count the family members.
Often because due design/infrastructure capacity considerations that’s the thing they could fit in the space available.
And FWIW if you really have to replicate the old OJ ads about running through the airport, solid surface is a safer way.
Ah yes, Nemesis striking at the notion of “German Efficiency”.
I find the OP moving indeed. “Walkways in airports” moves me nearly to tears, the concept that if I were infirm, or injured, or just tired, I might take a breather for a few moments and still make progress getting to my gate is deeply moving, a paen to airport designers’ consideration for such people as I am. At the same time, the walkways are designed to be wide enough to allow those in a hurry to run as fast as they might choose along the lefthand side of the walkway. I’m profoundly moved–you might say, emotionally touched–by the perfection of this design, and I applaud the OP for bringing it to my attention.
Same here. I don’t mind if people take a break and stand, but please allow me some room to walk on by. While I don’t fly very frequently, I’ve not experienced people blocking the walkways often enough for me to get annoyed.
Any enterprise that has its operations built on adhering to fairly rigid schedules - as indeed the airline industry is with its departure and flight times - needs to provide an environment that promotes movement in the most expeditious and efficient way possible. In my mind that should include being able to walk on those moving walkways.
I’m in the “It’s both” camp. And the “Can’t we all just think of others as well as ourselves?” camp.
Which latter idea includes making allowances for the many slow, infirm, and toddler-beset, but also making allowances for the many people who are legitimately rushing hither and thither.
Whereas the lazy should simply be taken out and shot. Laze at home, not at places where most people are legitimately in a hurry.
Shooting should also be applied to the all-too numerous folks @JRDelirious points out who exit a sidewalk or escalator and stop right there oblivious to the crowd being pushed inexorably into them from behind. I’ve actually seen some nasty falls and chain reaction pile-ups from that. Involving all able-bodied folks it’s got a Keystone Kops slow-motion cartoon catastrophe feel. Involving the elderly or infants it’s not funny. Not at all.
A problem in many US airports is that the moving sidewalks date from the 1980s when air travel exploded post-deregulation. Two 1980s-width Americans can pass, even with luggage in tow. Two 2020’s-width Americans? Not even close. Where new terminals are constructed, the modern moving sidewalks are about 150-200% the width of the old ones. Retrofitting wider equipment into existing buildings seems cost / disruption prohibitive. I’ve never seen it done.
But they are supposed to fit in the plane. I once flew in a small plane (2 rows of seats on the left, one row to the right) and was assigned a seat beside a man that was double as wide at the belly and hips as I am (6’ 4", ~200 pounds). It was not a pleasant flight, for both of us.
The OP sounds like the type that nearly knocked my elderly father (88) down when he got to the end of the walkway and stumbled a bit getting off - and then YELLED at my father to get out of the way!
All people are not as able bodied as others. Be considerate.