Having travelled on the (LT) Underground over the weekend, and after 30 years of commuting I noticed the following conundrum. Has anybody here got a credible explanation.
In the underground station walkway tunnels, the flow generally is divided on a keep left basis with slower movers on the left, the same as the rules of the road. However when reaching the escalators, the right side is reserved for non perambulating users whilst the young, fit and impatient make progress on the priority left hand side.
On a Saturday the uneducated tourists generally out number the hardened travellers in Zone1, hence the obstructive actions become more frequent noticeable.
Surely the M25 effect has not spread to pedestrians?
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I made the observation a while ago that the practice of keeping to the right on escalators which originated on the tube and is usually practised elsewhere in London has never spread to Norwich. This combined with the tendency of some older members of society to simply stop when getting off an escalator and beginning a conversation with their friends generally causes chaos.
Best take the stairs.
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Keep right used to be the rule for all pedestrians, especially on the tube.
Older people, especially those with a London background, still instinctively follow this, but younger tend to walk on the left.
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On a visit to the Cologne Christmas markets several years ago, our party of ten apprentice geriatrics had great difficulty making progress through the Christmas crowds, until one of us realised that the Germans, almost without exception walked on the right.
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When at Newark airport a few years ago I saw a group of what looked like South American people in traditional dress. They had a guide with their party and were obviously not used to "travel". When they got to the bottom of an escalator they froze, but were coaxed forward by the guide. The first few on the escalator immediately fell backwards as this was obviously a new experience for them. After a crash course on escalator use all was well with many white knuckles. It caused some disruption at a not too busy airport, I dread to think what the effect would have been on a rush hour London underground.
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Why do folk stop when they get on escalators?
What happens if the escalator stops, or they're confronted with stairs?
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>> Why do folk stop when they get on escalators?
Same as when they get in a lift. They let the device do the moving for them. Why walk when the escalator will take you to your destination.
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>> Why do folk stop when they get on escalators?
Well I assume it's there to do the movement for them so they needn't bother walking themselves.
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>>Why do folk stop when they get on escalators?
Because the escalator is moving and so there is no need to. The steps are hardly a comfortable size.
>>What happens if the escalator stops, or they're confronted with stairs?
I guess they make different decisions when faced with different situations. What do you do when you wish to pass that a door that is closed? Do you find that confusing when encountering one that is open?
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I think escalators are designed with the idea that people won't walk on them. Curiously, though, the superficially similar horizontal escalators found at airports very much are designed to be walked on. If your silly wheely bag is so heavy that you need a rest from carrying - or pulling - it on the way to the gate, you should have checked the b. thing in! Now get walking or get out of my way.
}8---)
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But beware of the superficially similar NON horizontal escalators at some foreign airports where the trolleys do not have automatic braking ( like I understand Tesco has ) :-(
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>>Curiously, though, the superficially similar horizontal escalators found at airports very much
>>are designed to be walked on.
I HATE them. I always walk. It's always faster - unless there's nobody else around.
I once read details of a scientific study that agreed with my empirical observations; people slow to a dawdle when on one of those things as they feel they are doing most of the work.
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A puzzle - CGNorwich
