Larry Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 No...it happens everywhere. Visit the Tube in London and you'll see. I bet they do it on the wrong side, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenaa Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 Life moves at a blur already. Why help it along by walking on a device that's designed to do the walking for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubbs Posted November 7, 2011 Author Share Posted November 7, 2011 Life moves at a blur already. Why help it along by walking on a device that's designed to do the walking for you. Because, as we all know, one of the most common things people say on their deathbeds is, "I wish I had more time on this planet, so I could have wasted it by standing still on escalators." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 As opposed to saying "I wish I had taken more time to smell the escalators!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissU28 Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 I don't understand people that go on the walking thing at the airport that moves forward and stand still on that....I love that thing because I love walking super fast to begin with, so that walkway is heaven to me "Caution....the moving walkway is ending..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadySkinsFan Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 My problem is this: looking down while trying to step onto a moving step. I've stepped aside if there is a long line behind me as I know I take extra time to get on. To me, being in a hurry while trying to get onto a moving step that's going down is disaster waiting to happen. FWIW, I have no problem stepping onto escalators going up and will even climb those if so inclined. I noticed this got worse when my eyesight changed to requiring bifocals and I wasn't seeing clearly in a downward direction. One thing is sure though, I do not want to fall down an escalator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 Some friends and I once came up with the idea of some terrorist at the DuPont Circle Metro station, threatening to roll a bowling ball down the escalator if their demands were not met. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RANSKINS98 Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 Life is too short to rush, I got time I will chill and wait for the escalator to take me down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renaissance Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 I want to say this up front so there's no confusion: I'm not in any way trying to be sarcastic or somehow make a joke at your expense. This is an honest question, because I've really never heard of this before and want to cure myself of some ignorance. People who have a fear of heights can be afraid of long stairways/escalators, even though it's not a straight drop? Is it the same sort of feeling as you would feel on a ledge? I can't walk down really long escalators without taking a break. I don't know if it's a heights issue (I am scared of heights) or what, and it's kind of hard to describe, but it's like there's so much downward force that I almost miss steps and my legs will give out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 I hear they had a power failure at the Capitol, a few days back. Two Congressmen and a Senator were stranded on an escalator for two hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubbs Posted November 7, 2011 Author Share Posted November 7, 2011 Life is too short to rush, I got time I will chill and wait for the escalator to take me down. Again, the "life is too short" thing doesn't make any sense. If you want to maximize your time, why are you standing still on an escalator? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No_Pressure Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 I've always felt that for able bodied people without something which keeps them from walking, ascending, and descending the stairs (being fat doesn't count) things like escalators aren't rides, they're aides to get you from one place to another faster. For example, in a situation where a lot of people need to get from one floor to another such as the metro or a mall, I always walk up and down the escalator. I treat them like those people mover things at the airport they aren't there so you can be lazy and just ride on them. They're there to get you around the place faster than you're capable of doing without running. I don't get mad when people aren't walking on them, even when they're people I just saw walking and I'm fairly convinced are capable of ascending or descending an escalator. I don't expect everybody to hold the same opinions on them as I do, and until there are actually some rule signs posted telling people what to do I'm not going to get pissed at them. I do hate the ones who block the path if I want to get past them. Walk left stand right if you have to stand still. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No Excuses Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 You can easily tell that the doofus standing on the left side of an escalator in DC is a tourist.These people are the worst. Once missed a late night train because the lady wouldn't get out of the left side or walk down. The next one came 15 minutes later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RANSKINS98 Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 Again, the "life is too short" thing doesn't make any sense. If you want to maximize your time, why are you standing still on an escalator? That quote is not meant to be taken literally, but it basically pertains to rushing, Why is it so important to walk down a escalator? if your rushing leave earlier to get to your destination on time, and is walking down a escalator really worth it saving a total of 5 seconds? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjah Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 You try comfortably walking down a moving escalator with size 15 shoes. That's my size too. Folks don't realize that walking down a set of steps, when one's shoes are notably longer than the depth of each step itself, is pretty harrowing. I have to turn my feet outwards to catch more stair surface under each shoe and amble downstairs somewhat like Charlie Chaplin's "Little Tramp" walk, or else shift my weight significantly to the back of the stepping foot so that foot doesn't slide right off the front edge of the stair. Repeat dozens or (in the case of longer staircases/escalators) hundreds of times. It's awkward. There's also the method of keeping my weight balanced mid-forward with each downward step like a normal person, but relying on my shoe tread to catch and hold the front corner of each step as I leave it. It feels more normal but it's a riskier method -- even if I get it right 99.99% of the time, I'll still go falling backward or tumbling forward at least a couple of times per year. And that's in addition to the usual trips and slips associated with staircases, which everyone faces regardless of shoe size. A big shoe also makes it interesting to walk upstairs, as the entire climb must be accomplished tiptoe. My heels never touch the step -- because there's no step underneath for them to touch. Still, I love running up escalators and staircases. Not sure why. Probably because it's a slightly exhilarating task with a clear beginning, middle, and end, and it makes me feel like I just earned a few extra seconds of productive lifespan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnhay Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 I have no problem with it. If you're on the right and aren't in a rush, standing and letting the escalator take you down is normal. You should be worried if walking up the escalator is tiring for you (I assume it might be since you make the distinction). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubbs Posted November 7, 2011 Author Share Posted November 7, 2011 You can easily tell that the doofus standing on the left side of an escalator in DC is a tourist.These people are the worst.Once missed a late night train because the lady wouldn't get out of the left side or walk down. The next one came 15 minutes later. That's happened to me a lot, because I used to work nights. And of course, if a bunch of people are standing on the left or in the middle of the escalator, if you try to hustle down the steps to catch a train by saying, "Excuse me, excuse me, sorry, trying to catch that one," they'll glare at you like you're the *******. That quote is not meant to be taken literally, but it basically pertains to rushing, Why is it so important to walk down a escalator? if your rushing leave earlier to get to your destination on time, and is walking down a escalator really worth it saving a total of 5 seconds? Sometimes it's situations like the one I just described. Other times, it's not like it's a big deal, I'm just dumbfounded when I see it, although sometimes I'm sure it's just because a person is really tired or has been walking all day and actually wants the rest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sticksboi05 Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 What's the issue here? If you want to walk, go on the left, if you want to stand, stay on the far right. The issue is when people stand in the middle during rush hour. ---------- Post added November-6th-2011 at 09:31 PM ---------- That quote is not meant to be taken literally, but it basically pertains to rushing, Why is it so important to walk down a escalator? if your rushing leave earlier to get to your destination on time, and is walking down a escalator really worth it saving a total of 5 seconds? Exactly, if you're in such a rush, take the stairs, they are always empty. Or is that too much work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedskinFeathers Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 I hate going down escalators, it terrifies me. I stand on the right and stare at the person in front of me and pretend not to think about what's going on. Going up, I'm fine walking on the left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No Excuses Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 Some of the busiest stops don't have stairs. Rosslyn, Foggy Bottom, no stairs. Union Station 1st street exit doesn't have stairs either. It would be nice if the tired and lazy would not cause inconvenience to the rest. All it takes is one person to screw up the flow. Foggy Bottom at 5 PM is a nightmare when this happens. Stay out of the left side. All of you scared people would have a heart attack if you saw the Rosslyn escalators. ---------- Post added November-6th-2011 at 10:19 PM ---------- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fullnelson9999 Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 I'm assuming that this guy would piss a lot of people off. FSLwCImWv-c Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedskinFeathers Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 ^^ that one I could deal with! And I've had to ride down some of the longer ones...Bethesda, Union Station, Foggy Bottom....Bethesda terrifies me on weekends with all the drunk people...I would have a heart attack if I saw someone fall down an escalator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sticksboi05 Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 Some of the busiest stops don't have stairs. Rosslyn, Foggy Bottom, no stairs. Union Station 1st street exit doesn't have stairs either.It would be nice if the tired and lazy would not cause inconvenience to the rest. All it takes is one person to screw up the flow. Foggy Bottom at 5 PM is a nightmare when this happens. Stay out of the left side. All of you scared people would have a heart attack if you saw the Rosslyn escalators. ---------- Post added November-6th-2011 at 10:19 PM ---------- Again, so the beef is with people who don't understand to stand to the right, not people who don't walk down escalators...It's an escalator, the whole point is for it to move you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubbs Posted November 7, 2011 Author Share Posted November 7, 2011 Exactly, if you're in such a rush, take the stairs, they are always empty. Or is that too much work? Huh? Since when is it a given that there will always be stairs near an escalator? Again, so the beef is with people who don't understand to stand to the right, not people who don't walk down escalators...It's an escalator, the whole point is for it to move you. There's no "beef" with people who stand on the right. There is, however, fascination with them on my part. This thread has already explained some of them, at least for me, because I never knew that a fear of heights could come into play on an escalator. It makes all the sense in the world to stand still in that case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sticksboi05 Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 Huh? Since when is it a given that there will always be stairs near an escalator?There's no "beef" with people who stand on the right. There is, however, fascination with them on my part. This thread has already explained some of them, at least for me, because I never knew that a fear of heights could come into play on an escalator. It makes all the sense in the world to stand still in that case. I say this because since living in Boston, I've become used to there always being stairs. In fact there are barely any down escalators up here so consider yourselves fortunate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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