For shame, my beloved Stranger, for not once but twice publishing cultural escalator propaganda in the past two months. I am sick you pushing aside the safety of my fellow pedestrians for those who are running late! Why must we prioritize the needs of the self-absorbed over the innocent?

Consider the purpose of escalators: To help people ascend great vertical distances in situations where stairs may be too cumbersome. Who benefits the most? The elderly, the disabled, the youth, and the voluptuous. Yet culture dictates we must literally move them aside for whom? People perfectly capable of taking stairs! 

Washington Labor and Industries (L&I) publishes a pamphlet on directions for escalator safety. Some directions are:

  • Stand in the center of the step
  • Don't lean against or over the sides
  • Keep feet away from sides

Only on moving walks does Washington L&I instruct pedestrians to stand on the right to let walkers pass on the left.

I invite readers to conduct their own investigations and see that it is neither efficient nor safe for people to walk up escalators. We must literally stand in solidarity against the whims of the tardy and the selfish. 


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