How to Ride an Escalator

The first time I learned about escalator etiquette was in London where if you didn’t line up on the proper side of the escalator you would find yourself pushed upwards from the propulsion of the person behind you. No other nation queues quite so enthusiastically as the Brits. So for every other place in the world, (besides Wyoming where there are only, um TWO escalators in the whole state) this is how you do it.

Walk to the left, stand to the right. No one knows why this is, but it’s pretty universal all over the globe except in Australia. Walking is not encouraged in Toronto and Beijing, but there’s really no good reason for this. There are very few escalator accidents and next to no deaths. Frankly the only time I’ve seen kids stuck in them is at the mall where very few people walk. People have been sufficiently frighted by escalators as children to be cautious with them, even when running for a train.

Personality type wise I’m going to say that Classics are the biggest walkers as they know exactly how much time they are wasting while standing. However because they are so good with time, they probably know exactly when the train is coming and therefore can easily time their arrival on the platform to coincide with the opening doors. Funs, Organic Freedoms and Smart Freedoms are usually walking or running because they are um, usually late. Smart Structures walk because they would speed through paradise to get to where they’re going. (And yeah, you can read into that exactly what you want!)  And we guess Organic Structures are going to stand because life is way too short and long to hurry through a moment to reflect upon how short and long life is.

But if you, like me and my sister, are annoyed with all those standers, (ahem, usually tourists!), then you must read this blog. And if you want to laugh heartily and long, you must and I mean MUST watch this video right now. For more info on what not or to do, this is where I got most of my references from. And yes, it’s the BBC!