Escalators and you, a cautionary tale.
The Escalator, man's second greatest invention after AC. Scourge of A-Kon convention goers. Lean how to survive and what not to do.
Courtesy Steve Staton
Escalators are one of the largest, most expensive machines people use on a regular basis, but they're also one of the simplest. An escalator is a conveyor transport device for transporting people, consisting of a staircase whose steps move up or down on tracks that keep the surfaces of the individual steps horizontal. Jamming ones shoe into it, will break it. Also, dropping trash, pencils, and clothing will also cause many mishaps.
© Howstuffworks.com
So, for your benefit, this little article was put together as a reminder on how to ride and be safe on an escalator.
While some escalator accidents are caused by a mechanical failure, most can be avoided by following some simple safety precautions. This means you!
- Hold the handrail.
- Do not use the escalator when transporting any large package or when pushing a device with wheels (moving sidewalks and ramps usually excepted — look for signs). This includes: baby strollers, baggage carts, hand trucks, or shopping carts. Also, the escalator should not be used by someone with a walker or on crutches.
- Check for loose garments. These may include: long dresses, scarves, trench coats, or loose belts. Also, loose shoelaces are particularly notorious for getting caught in escalator machinery, so make sure that shoes are tied.
- Keep footwear away from the side panels — especially shoes with traction.
- Children under the age of 7 should be accompanied by an adult when riding.
- Do not ride barefoot.
- Face forward. Don't face backwards.
- Carry dogs up or down (or use the elevator). Don't drag it on the escalator. The same also applies to cats, hedgehogs, and muskrats.
- Keep walking after exiting the escalator to prevent a pile-up. Don't stop at the top and show of your costume or get into a group. There are people behind you and they all want to get off the escalator.
- Stand to one side of the escalator to allow others to pass you. This means you!
- No ice-skates should be worn when using an escalator. Nor roller skates, or any other unorthodox footwear.
- Always step out at the end of the stairs to prevent from falling. And never stop, keep walking forward.
Escalator speeds vary from about 90 feet per minute to 180 feet per minute (27 to 55 meters per minute). An escalator moving 145 feet (44 m) per minute can carry more than 10,000 people an hour -- many more people than a standard elevator. Still a train leaving Chicago at 2:00 pm will beat it.
