# The Light Under the Escalator

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-light-under-the-escalator/675851>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 8, 2013, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-light-under-the-escalator/675851 "2013-12-08T21:28:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2013, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-light-under-the-escalator/675851/1 "2013-12-08T21:28:05Z")

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What is the purpose of that (green) light under the escalator steps where you first get on, and (maybe) at the exit? And, what kind of light source is it?

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**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2013, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-light-under-the-escalator/675851/2 "2013-12-08T21:53:10Z")

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The Master Speaks: Why are there Green Lights under Escalators?

> **[Why are there green lights under escalators?](https://www.straightdope.com/21341950/why-are-there-green-lights-under-escalators)**

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**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2013, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-light-under-the-escalator/675851/3 "2013-12-08T22:58:20Z")

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Oh, I thought it was about the Shel Silverstein book. 😃

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**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2013, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-light-under-the-escalator/675851/4 "2013-12-08T23:04:48Z")

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gives a soft light to the midgets on the treadmill.

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**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:** [December 9, 2013, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-light-under-the-escalator/675851/5 "2013-12-09T06:31:22Z")

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Green better off sets the steps. They are not required at this time. When they started to put them on escalators they were on both landings. Then they were only put on the lower landings.

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**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-light-under-the-escalator/675851/6 "2013-12-09T06:41:00Z")

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Otherwise it is too dark for the troll who lives under there to read.