Escalators and how not to use them

[repsac]

OH! I was wondering what you were describing. That's called a furnicular. It's actually a way they also use to move railroad cars up inclines. Neat to see them in use that way also.

Myself, the only thing I have to say about escalators, is I try to avoid them.

Having managed to do a face plant because I forgot to step off the end...distracted by the very cute girl a few steps before me, I've learned that mechanical objects and I, do not mix.

[JustaCashier]

Thanks for posting the pic, Crawley.

I had never seen, nor heard of a cart escalator until I read this thread, so was going to Google an image to see what one looked like, but you saved me the trouble!

[Crosshair]

I have to admit, the nearest escalator where I live is about 90 miles away in the next big city. No escalators anywhere where I live. I think there are less than 10 in the whole state.

[One-Fang]

Most of the newer ones here now are what Bliss described. Essentially a slope. Your cart is equipped with special wheel brakes so it can't actually move while on the 'travelator'. One local mall has had staff stationed at the two travelator upper ends for about a year, to pull carts off. Must've had some people not able to push theirs off and some problems. Doesn't seem to happen elsewhere.

What does happen though, is kids thinking it's cool to stand beside the escalators, reach up, and 'ride' the side of it up, dangling off it. Naturally, this often ends badly. Now they're putting plastic bars on the framework that'll knock you off if you're trying this crap.

One guy told me he saw a girl 'straddle' the side of the escalator (the handrail) and ride it up. She fell off right at the top. Stupid kid.

[sportsmom]

A small aside to this thread (though it does fit...)

We were at a Target in Boca Raton (I think it was actually in Deerfield Beach, but close enough). Anyhow, it was a 2-story Target. Nifty. They had a cart escalator. Neatest thing EVER. You push the cart through the doors and a little track thing comes through and grabs the front of it and it's like on a wedge so it stays level, then you take the escalator next to the cart. There are plexiglass panels to keep idiots from trying to reach into the carts while it's on the escalator, and employees watch to make sure no whack-job leaves their kid in the cart.

We went up and down a few times with it. We were thoroughly amused.

Both IKEA stores in Chicago have them. The first time I saw it I was also amused since I had never seen one before.


**Wanders off to go look at her new IKEA catlog and plan her next trip to Chicago.**

[protege]

Having managed to do a face plant because I forgot to step off the end...distracted by the very cute girl a few steps before me, I've learned that mechanical objects and I, do not mix.

I almost did that at the airport recently. Not on an escalator though...but the 'moving walkway.' Since it's not a continuous walkway (at least the moving part), there are 10-foot or so stretches of carpet in between. Quite a few people like to walk on the walkway as it's moving (myself included, hehe) and forget about the sudden stop when you hit carpet. I nearly fell on my ass a few times

[dragonflygrrl]

I was at the Saint Louis airport one time, and there was a big commotion centered around the people movers. After it had died down, this young cop was walking backwards on it, to remain in the same place, watching the belts come up from the end. My dad asked him what he was doing, and he said a kid had gotten his thumb hooked under the floor belt and he was looking for it so they could get it re-attached. I still don't know why you would let your kid get down on the floor (ew, gross) and monkey with the people mover belts.

[RogueOne]

That kid, is BACK, on the escalator!

[Gravekeeper]

Here in Vancouver we have the Mount Everest of escalators at the Granville Skytrain station. Its literally at least 4-5 stories tall and they angled the pattern of the tiles on the wall to the same diagnal tilt as the escalator is on. So it messes with your perception and makes you feel like your falling backwards when you look up the escalator. ><

The stupidity that rages on these escalators never ceases to amaze me. A lot of people try to run up it not realizing its the equivilent of god knows how many flights of stairs even if it is moving. You can usually catch up to them at the top, wheezing and walking on rubber legs towards the door. I saw one guy wind himself so bad he slumped over the railing gasping.

I take this escalator every day on my way to and from work, so I see a lot of morons on it. But 3 incidents I remember rather clearly because they went a bit above and beyond:

1) This was actually Sunday morning last week, I was coming home from work and I see this girl trying to sprint up the Up escalator to my left.....in stilletto heels. Now, if you think about what an escalator step looks like, its ridged right? Not the best thing to run on in stilletto heels. Second I saw her I just *knew* she was going to fall on her face.

Sure enough 3 seconds after she passes by me I hear a shriek and a thump. There she is on her hands and knees, dazed and still being escalated upwards at a leisurely place. I'm sure she must have skinned her knees and hands something harsh. She's lucky she didn't fall BACKWARDS. A some odd 5 story escalator, going up, and you're falling backwards on it? Your only hope would be to lose conciousness and wedge your body in such a fashion that it stops your painful descent. Then they can collect your corpse when it reaches the top.


2) Morons are *always* triggering the safety feature on these escalators. Which pisses people off to no end since its a HELL of a hike upwards if the escalator isn't working. All escalators have an emergency stop button, but a lot of them also have a safety feature where they stop if there's any sort of impact or resistence. So idiot fratboys are always jumping and stomping on it, setting off the safety break.

But there was this one guy, whom I remember clearly, because he announced to his idiot friends "Hey, watch this!" and took a running jump at the bottom of the Up escalator. Sure enough it grinds to a halt.

Problem was there was 3 cops coming down on the down escalator to patrol the station and he had gotten all of their attention just in time to witness his stupidity by louding announcing "Watch this!". He just about crapped himself and they arrested him for mischief or some such. All of his buddies immediately turned around and went back to the Skytrain platform to catch a train. Abandoning him to his fate.


3) One last one, this I remember very clearly because it aggravates me off to this day. Luckily, I'm a really easy going guy with no temper, else I may have punched this twit behind me.

I was on my way to work so I'm just kind of zoning out. There's a couple girls in front of me and a pack of loud obxinous idiots behind me. This is Friday night they were off to the bars or some such. I hear one of them behind me say something like "Hey, check out that ass!" ( Referring to the girl standing in front of me ).

Then this @&$hole grabs MY hand and shoves it towards this girls posterior. Now I wasn't really paying attention, but if someone steps into my personal space or touchs me it sets off the warning bells in my head. So I locked my arm and pulled it free. Luckily, before he shoved it on this girls behind and left me to do some serious explaining.

Of course him and his friends think this is hilarious. I turn around and *glare* at him. Now, if you've been in the customer service industry for more then a few years like me then you likely have the kind of glare that I do. The kind of glare that could kill a puppy. Also, I'm not a huge guy but I'm rather tall and I keep my hair in a military type crewcut. So I'm sure I looked like a serial killer when I turned around.

The guy shut up immediately, then his friends started laughing at HIM because he had shut up when I turned around. I didn't say anything, I just glared at him till we got to the top. I'm sure they he really did think I was a serial killer.

Still, what a complete a-hole. If he had shoved my hand on her I probably would have torn his face off. I'm a really quiet, polite guy but you don't do crap like that. Especially *not* to a lady. Gah, it peeves me just thinking about it.

[Tria]

One of the WalMarts here in Sacramento has this feature. I like it myself.

My husband managed to jam it once. (sigh)

Story time?

[repsac]

since I got asked what a Funicular is, here's a few photos or links to them.

http://www.cable-car-guy.com/images/fairfax03.jpg Note the angle of the car, and yet the platforms to make the floor stay "Level"

http://users.snowcrest.net/photobob/ss11.jpg

Different variation, but same principle.

[Broomjockey]

That kid, is BACK, on the escalator!

Wow, someone else who's seen Mallrats?

[CrazedClerk]

What, no mention of the stupid kids who try to run UP the DOWN escalator??

[Seanette]

Story time?

He says he's not sure what happened. He put his cart on the escalator as normal (I wasn't with him on this trip) and it jammed about halfway up. He's sure it was a mechanical problem and not user error.

[Barefootgirl]

The big Tesco store where I shop has a trolley escalator that goes from the ground floor to the first floor, at a fairly gentle incline. If you have a child in the trolley, they can stay sitting in it, but if you have one of the big square trolleys with a baby cradle, or the special needs child seat, then you have to take the lift. I think the trolley escalator is an excellent idea. There is also a recorded announcement on the way down, warning you that the escalator is about to end.