POLL: Escalators - Walker or Blocker?

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So I leave the office today at 5:00. Eager to get home, I approach the escalator to go down to the lower level. Normally, I’d get on, and walk down the escalator to speed up my descent. But there’s a guy just in front of me who apparently thinks that there’s a law against walking down escalators, and so just goes along for the ride. Of course, once he gets to the bottom, he takes off like a bat out of hell, and I’m thinking “what does this guy do when confronted with stairs?”. This is not an infrequent occurrence, going up or down.

Now I realize that there are legitimate reasons for not walking up/down a moving escalator – physical limitations, loaded down with stuff, etc. And there may be a difference between going up vs. going down. But when a perfectly able-bodied person is so damn lazy that he/she feels obligated to just stand there waiting for the escalator to get him/her to the end – well, I just don’t get it.

But then again, maybe I’m just missing the point. So, I’m asking my fellow SP’ers – what do you do? Comments, of course, are welcomed.

[ April 23, 2006, 04:15: Message edited by: Splunge ]

Poll Information
This poll contains 2 question(s). 33 user(s) have voted.
You may not view the results of this poll without voting.

Poll Results: Escalators - Walker or Blocker? (33 votes.)

When on a "down" esclalator, do you: (Choose 1)
* Walk - 52% (17)
* Just go along for the ride - 48% (16)

When on an "up" esclalator, do you: (Choose 1)
* Walk - 55% (18)
* Just go along for the ride - 45% (15)

 

Yes, you are missing the point...of escalators in general, really. Escalators aren't for speeding up, they're for relaxing. Which is why I usually take the stairs even when they're not as handy. Too many people treat escalators like highways, when they're really for lazy or encumbered people. Elevators are too, though most won't admit to their laziness (at the very least laziness of not looking for the stairs ). But when I get on an escalator or elevator, I don't expect to have to do anything more (except maybe press a button) until I arrive where I want it to take me.

And as someone who will do exactly what that guy did (not because I'm in a hurry but because I have a naturally fast stride), I can tell you that I take the stairs very fast on the way down.

 

Fel, I agree with you, in part at least. I should have mentioned that, in the situation I described, the stairs are very out-of-the-way, so much so that it would actually take longer to get to the staircase and go down than it takes to ride the escalator.

I disagree that escalators are for relaxing - that's what chairs are for; an escalator ride doesn't last long enough to be relaxing. If you want to relax on your feet, find a wall to lean against. I do agree that escalators are, like you said, "for lazy or encumbered people".

 

Or for people with heart conditions or us aging folk.


I usually walk down if possible because I am not a patient person.

Going up I voted "go along for the ride." but it varies on how I feel, how much of a rush I'm in and if I'm blocked.

 

If I wanted to walk down/up stairs, I'd take them instead of the escalator. I find it silly that people will hurry down/up escalators, especially in shopping malls where your biggest hurry should be getting to the bathroom. In other places such as airports, walking on an escalator is okay. I've been late for flights myself and just try to keep myself out of everyone's way.

Sorry, Splunge, but you will have to deal with me being in your way.

 

Walk up, ride down. Or, I walk up the down elevator... it really pisses people off

 

You forgot to add the option of sometimes walk, sometimes ride. I'll do either depending on my mood.

 

It's considered polite here to stand to one side of the escalator so that others can pass (and I've heard of people getting knocked down escalators because they didn't do this before...). So, no blocking problems here, generally

But usually I'll just stand...

 

Normally I walk. I haven't tried the wrong escalator, because I've never found a mall that wasn't crowded...

 

What she said

 

I walk on the upway, and just ride along on the downway, because walking down stairs is bad for your knees.

 

Surely it doesn't matter whether people walk or stand. Surely the issue is that all the standers are supposed to stand off to one side. The London Underground has thousands of people riding escalators all day but the standers are all on the right so the walkers can charge on through.

I walk both up and down, by the way. I need all the exercise I can get.

 

Edit - Nevermind, I didn't read your post before I replied, I assumed this was about something else .

If I use the escalator I walk up. That last step is a bitch though. I still haven't quite mastered the art of stepping off an escalator without having a little bit of a stumble at the end.

 

I tend to take the stairs which run along side the escalator (at least in a lot of places around here). People usually flock to an escalator like they suddenly lost the ability to walk stairs. However, should I be forced to take an escalator, I usually walk on it. In the rare occasion that I passively ride an escalator, I make sure to stay out of the fast lane for people who are in a hurry.

People act weird around escalators, especially when they're not working. It's funny to see how people take evasive manoeuvres towards the stairs when they realise the escalator is out of order too late. Just walk up the escalator, you were already heading for it, instead of looking like a fool. An escalator can not be out of order, it can only be temporarily stairs (that's something I learned from Mitch Hedberg).

 

I don't use the escalators often. I prefer to walk the stairs, what often is faster then trying to find my way up the escalator or just standing by, like in a railwaystation (usually rotterdam cs).
But if it is not so crowded and my train is about to leave, I run up the escalator.

In malls or at times when I'm not in a hurry, I simply walk the stairs, unless I have to be at the 11th level of a building.

 

Was he an accountant, perchance?

 

I used to be a stair/escalator walker till the arthritis got to be too much of a pain.

 

I prefer using stairs, but when I use escalators I usually just stand still. I only walk up/down an escalator if I'm in a hurry.

 

I'll stand usually, no point in moving when something else can do it for you

Why didn't you just ask the guy to move out of your way, BTW Splunge?

 

Stand. My knees can't really handle walking up or down stairs that well.

I'm also so wide that nobody walks past me. Someone trying to tackle me for that will be in for a lot of pain.