How to Ride an Escalator According to Escalator Manufacturers
People should not walk on escalators. (This slows down traffic during rush hour.) According to a recent CBC report , all pedestrians break escalators faster. Otis Elevator even claims that walking on an escalator is a safety hazard. But that’s not what we’re talking about here. We’re here because of Otis’s overwhelming revelation.
According to CBC:
Otis, the escalator manufacturer (and owner of the brand name for the word “escalator”) actually recommends that users stand in the middle of the escalator with their hands on both handrails for maximum safety.
When asked to comment on the situation, an Otis spokesman confirmed that the company does not recommend walking on the escalator and that riders should “step on, hold on to the handrail and remain vigilant.” The 22 safety guidelines listed on the Otis website include “Stand in the center of a step facing forward,” but they do not mention double fist on handrails.
But just in case, we illustrated Otis’ utopian vision of a secure, escalating world.
Here are some things that the Otis security page clearly recommends:
- Don’t use a stopped escalator as a staircase (sorry Mitch Hedberg )
- No tilt
- No cane
- Don’t sit
- “Be especially careful if you wear bifocals.”
- “Hold children firmly with one hand”
- “Keep loose clothing away from steps and sides.”
- Don’t stand at the top or bottom of the damn escalator like it’s your living room.
The risk of walking on an escalator is really small: as the CBC points out, about 10,000 people are injured on an escalator every year in the United States. And one study in Tokyo blamed walking for a large proportion of Tokyo escalator injuries.
As much as I would like to manipulate these statistics to get everyone to behave the way I want you, so that you obviously aren’t particularly dangerous – just pointless – going up a regular escalator. But one injury company connects these points : escalators can malfunction, resulting in death. And when an escalator breaks down, all of these paranoid security measures can suddenly make a difference.
Life is about weighing risks, and the risk of falling over a missing escalator step is quite low. But sometimes someone does it, and if you race up the magic moving staircase every day, you buy some more lottery tickets for that particular prize. I’m not saying you should grab the handrail. But watch your step, huh?