The Unseen Inefficiency of Escalator Etiquette - Cheddar Explains

Is there a right way to ride an escalator? City escalator etiquette states that one side is for standers and the other for walkers. But is this the safest, most efficient way to ride an escalator? Cheddar explains...
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[@Gloomy0Folken]

Moscow metro has messages "please stand on both sides of the escalator" being played through speakers during peak hours, but uses standard "stand on the right walk on the left" approach when the traffic is not so heavy. Seems like the optimal solution to me.

[@freeman9586]

definitively

[@TheJamesM]

Yeah, a problem with this as a universal rule is that when the escalator isn't at capacity, it could actually slow people down. I usually head into town for leisure and outside of commuter hours, so I rarely encounter queues at the escalators. If they were standing both sides, it would slow down people who are in a hurry. Having an announcement or signage at all times which can react to traffic seems like the way to go.

[@maxafc4695]

@@TheJamesM Thing is as well i find that when there is a queue people end up standing on both sides of the escalator anyway because there are just that many people.

[@joeljong931]

When there is no queue of people stand in the middle for safety and occasionally look back for walkers to move temporarily out of the way except when you are close to the top so you don't trip.

[@jmanakajosh9354]

Tbh this seems very stupid if you want a faster lane that moves more peole use this thing called stairs.

[@tielmaster7879]

And then you have NYC rush hour. People run up both sides lol.

[@kindie1103]

Same thing happens in the mornings at my university

[@Nandinandito]

Nah, I keep standing thank you very much

[@merklol3444]

Oh man I hate when that 1 person wants to stand and they just clog the entire escalator forcing everyone to stand instead of walk

[@kingpotato7183]

Thats actually very efficient

[@lunarlegend8924]

@@merklol3444 feels like this video just proved that's actually a good thing

[@dionnaly7186]

In Canada, some escalators only fit ONE person. So a walker can’t choose that escalator.

[@no-ku6jp]

what province are you from to see this oof. i'm genuinely curious, have yet to see a one-person escalator here.

[@aspartame.addict]

some malls in Vancouver have escalators that only fit one person

[@bingola45]

@@aspartame.addict We're talking about one-person-wide here, aren't we? NOT an escalator which carries only one person.

[@writerpatrick]

In those cases the escalator is standing only.

[@dionnaly7186]

shoebinie I live in Canada, Vancouver. I can take a photo of it for you and email it to you if u want. (:

[@cinemmedia2597]

1987: we will have flying cars in the future 2019: *how to use escalators correctly*

[@taylorbritt499]

Old sci-fi had such high hopes for us. We have failed them

[@alexanderchacon6690]

Never said how far in the future

[@AutumnTheArtist1996]

@@alexanderchacon6690 Back to the future said 2015😭 i think we’re behind schedule.

[@utubestalker.dotcom]

it should read March 21, 2019 (how to use escalators correctly), March 22, 2019 to present (how to ride an escalator to social distance during the pandemic)

[@someotherdude]

2023: We should have 13 types of bathroom everywhere.

[@mrDjuroman]

This ignores a very important fact Some people hate how slow the escalators are

[@carlpeckett1393]

Especially when you hate London and have 5 minutes to catch your connecting train? You think I'm gonna stand there and miss it? :P

[@pineyLt]

Same a-holes that always wait until the last minute to go anywhere then are in a rush to get there on time. In the process manage to stress everyone else out. Got a tip, leave 15 minutes early, you’ll be an easy pace and you’ll find the whole day will fall in sinc

[@AmbientMorality]

@@pineyLt For some people you can't just leave 15 minutes early, because transit schedules are worse than that. Buses that run every 30 minutes or even every hour.

[@Rohar_Tha_D]

@@pineyLt if you've got an easy planned life, doesn't mean everybody have that. Just keep it in mind

[@Gokaes]

@@pineyLt if you are working and leave for home, and if you run you can get to next metro in time but if you stand you cant, which one would you prefer

[@fcukthisnoobteam8902]

1909: I bet we will teleport from point to point in 2019 2019: how to ride an escalator properly

[@fredhenry101]

To be fair, two world wars and a poorly handled globalization effort really threw a wrench in that plan. Add the fact that the only two global superpowers left standing after WW2 hated each other enough to start a Space Race out of spite, and useful science starts to become hard to come by. Oh, also politicians control what gets funded, and they're morons.

[@bangonkali]

I doubt we would have the technology we have today if the two world wars never happened. I do not support beligerence in any way shape or form but the side effect in terms of technological growth due to competition is really astounding compared to longer times of peace or stagnation.

[@mudgatebronn4438]

1909: in a hundred years we would have discovered everything there is to know about our universe! 2019: earth looks flat so it must be flat, space doesn't excist!

[@InsidiousOne]

@@fredhenry101 the science doesn't work like "if we fund teleportation research enough, it will surely be invented soon". If it's not possible, than it's not possible.

[@martinsimek3963]

Also, imagine, how when teleports are around, there is a group of people telling you you should RUN into the teleport to save time :)

[@barbecueboi6386]

Or just make “Standing Only” and “Walking Only” escalators *Problem Solved*

[@alemnolido5506]

Barbecue Boi I think you misspelled stairs : )

[@TheXAsama]

@@alemnolido5506 i want the stairs to speed me up

[@joost1453]

That's actually a really great idea

[@cami_cosmos]

You can walk on elevators?

[@kristincabangunay6404]

but then the escalators would break, remember? because they stand up on one side and walk on the other? plus it's a huge waste of space.

[@georgelionon9050]

I applaud the person that stand on the escalator while his train is moving in, and he keeps standing calm slowly riding the escalator... while it drives off and he just waits another 30 minutes for the next one to come..

[@benjaminnieva6016]

I'm willing to bet that the person standing is doing so because in some cities during rush hour, the next train would arrive in as little as 30 seconds.

[@RickJaeger]

Yeah, "30 minutes" seems a bit long for a commuter train. If that wasn't his train, he might not even wait 5.

[@UnluckyOctopus]

Right. As soon as they said they couldn’t even get Japan to follow the stand only rule a country that is notorious for rule following and public consideration, was when I laughed and said ya there’s no point to even try anymore.

[@georgelionon9050]

@@benjaminnieva6016 The subway is every 3 minutes during rush hour.. and this almost as close as it technically gets. The train (a "real train") okay, I have every 15 minutes in rush hour... 30 minutes off peak. 60 minutes late in the evening/morning. none after midnight until 5 in the morning.

[@benjaminnieva6016]

@@georgelionon9050 For a real train (S-Bahn or commuter train on national railroad trackage), these seem like fair operating times, though they could always be better.

[@XViper123]

Only works during peak 'traffic'. No point standing if there's hardly anyone on the damn thing!

[@silviarossi2690]

the problems (uneven weight distribution and slower over all transportation of passengers) also only happen during peak traffic

[@haramharald979]

Especially because the train isn't waiting for u

[@Megadeth6633]

thanks mr. obvious

[@vincefitzpatrick9206]

Also, my experience in NYC has been that at "peak traffic" someone ends up standing on both sides anyway and the problem disappears.

[@bmxscape]

@KamekoBruns just less weight is less of a problem, if a problem

[@Selur91]

I'm sorry, but even with the assumption that the main focus of escalators is capacity this video does not dig in the right spot. You're measuring flow, therefore you need to take flow into account(duh!), not space used, but how many people are getting out of each side by time. I'm not saying that capacity wouldn't be improved by all standing, I'm just saying that this video does not prove or disprove anything because it's not taking the right variables into account. By the same logic cars take a lot more space than a person, therefore roads would be faster if everybody walked since there's a lot more capacity in that situation.

[@ThatOneDudeWhoPostsStuff]

Well escalators are for convenience. It's more convenient, and efficient if there's a higher capacity on the escalators because more people can get to where they want faster.

[@The_oli4]

@@ThatOneDudeWhoPostsStuff thats the thing tho if you stand still you are quicker just taking the normal stairs so its not faster. also if you look at flow there are probably more people that get to the top if you take acount for all the people that walked up. they did take more space with the 3 steps per person but if they get up twice as fast its still the same flow.

[@ThatOneDudeWhoPostsStuff]

Olivier vdB but then if someone trips, the whole thing slows down for a shortm depending on the severity of the trip.

[@uegvdczuVF]

@@ThatOneDudeWhoPostsStuff To use this selur's example of a road, just because there is more capacity on a road doesn't mean will get to your destination faster, because you are moving slower. The same applies to the escalators. The most important part is how many people wan't to walk on it compared to how many people want to stand, something that this video doesn't consider or even mention.... All of the models show at leasts thee times more people on the standing side rather than on walking side. In Germany during rush hours there are more people willing to walk than stand since everyone is in a hurry to get to work. The walking side is just as full and the distance is just one step between the "walkers"...

[@louherman9375]

@selur91 Have you looked into the formation of traffic snakes? Your hyperbolic statement isnt as absurd as it sounds. (It is still absurd)

[@chaumas]

This doesn't address the rather common scenario where an escalator is not at full capacity (so there's no pileup at the bottom), but has enough load to make walking up impractical if people don't follow the "stand on the right" rule. In that scenario, everybody standing side by side obviously does not increase throughput, and in fact decreases it depending on how many people would otherwise be walking. As far as the wear and tear argument, that just sounds like an engineering flaw. This custom has existed for decades, so why are they still building escalators as if the load on each side is going to be equal?

[@berlineczka]

People in Moscow have actually developed social norms to address that. The escalators are very long in Moscow, so you spend quite some time on it (and most people are not fit enough to walk the whole length). The subway there has therefore an additional rule: if there is a crowd at the bottom of the escalator (usually every time just after a train arrives) the first people who enter the escalators are walkers - on both sides. They walk up as high as they can and then some stop walking and stay on the right, some continue a bit higher if they can. People who prefer standing wait 10 seconds or so to enter.

[@deathmerchant8662]

If there is no pileup it doesn't matter and walking or standing wont increase numbers either way so learn basic math and problem solving skills before you speak in public. You did prove there is a pileup of idiots on the internet. Now should you walk or stand for the privilege to be the next idiot???????????

[@jpedrosc98]

Thank you for pointing this out. Engineers should adapt to the way the public uses the escalator, not the opposite

[@seraphina985]

@@jpedrosc98 You can't just make the top of the step slanted so one side can be thicker to accommodate the greater wear though. That said it is not really an engineering problem so much as an operational one due to one simple fact namely that left and right are inherently relative thus the uneven wear can be balanced simply by alternately reversing the direction of the escalators each day. If you swap the up and down escalators around you also swap the left and right side from the riders perspective as the right side viewed from the top is the left side viewed from the bottom and visa versa. Throw in an LCD display at each end that switches between an arrow and a cross to quickly direct people to the correct escalator for where they want to go and problem solved at least for the wear and tear issue doesn't fix the wasted capacity problem but changing the behaviour of humans is hard changing the behaviour of a machine is a flick of a switch so makes no sense not to mitigate the problem human behaviour by operating the machine to minimise the damage caused by irrational behaviour by users.

[@D1570R73D]

"everybody standing side by side obviously does not increase throughput" That's not what that means. You'd have to do a bit of math to prove that. It's easier to just count the number of people who reach the top or bottom per hour, which is presumably what they did to reach the conclusion that standing on both sides is better.

[@StreamCrops]

4:26 "It's been proven to work" - cut to clip of it not working at all

[@uhlan30]

? The clip shows that it works when people actually do it. The fact that it’s so hard to convince people to actually do it doesn’t mean it doesn’t work.

[@StreamCrops]

@@uhlan30 it clearly doesn't work when people don't do it

[@uhlan30]

Ben Murphy The clip doesn’t show that at all though?

[@StreamCrops]

@@uhlan30 There are three escalators shown at that part and none of them have people standing on both sides. Again, it's not working if people aren't doing it - and that's exactly what is being shown.

[@drowemos]

There is an assumption your are making here that capacity is more important than travel time. This is only true when loss of capacity from walker will cause the over all travel-time to be increased. Basically only when the station is jam packed with people otherwise walking is the more efficient way of going up. Yes there is also the maintenance issue but that becomes a question of how much extra maintenance uneven weight causes. Also the maintenance problem could also be solved by designating one escalator as walker only.

[@tolsti1]

Eric Kimball I would also add that the footage included in several parts of the video (most notably at the end) disproves the whole premise. This video includes a lot of footage where the escalator is full - filled with standers on one side, and walkers on the other. That would seem to optimize both autonomy and capacity - as the walker side would transport even more people.

[@coleball6001]

tolsti1 The video showed us that if you stand on one side of a escalator, the machine is more likely to break down.

[@pappelfratze]

Yeah. Why stand. Would it not be more efficient if everyone walked?

[@aeonjoey3d]

SMH you fail to understand. you're waiting in a queue to get on the escalator because people who want to walk need more space, so less people can get on, hence the queue. when there's no queue the problem isn't apparent, and the mere seconds saved don't amount to a hill of beans compared to hospital and paramedic costs just because you had to be there first.

[@jmanakajosh9354]

I agree with you this article is stupid. I think stairs accomodate varying speeds of travelers better anyway.

[@sulli1189]

Get a second escalator or even better *install stairs*

[@twddersharkmarine7774]

Just Use Like A Pool Slider But With Floor Button, So When A Man/Girl That Live. In Floor 15 For Example Want To Go To Floor 5, The Slider Gonna Reroute To Floor Five Tube, Not Efficient And Costly But How Fun If It's Actually Present IRL Like You See Your Kid Playing Floor Slider Intead Of Playground Slider, Best Way To Keep Your Children Inside Your Apartement, Upward Though, Who Cares About Upward Slider, They Can Use Stairs, In Wall Written: "THIS IS FOR YOUR OWN HEALTH PEOPLE"

[@realdragon]

Walking on escalator is faster

[@tawhidchoudhury1168]

@@twddersharkmarine7774 Boy. Heard of a full stop?

[@twddersharkmarine7774]

@@tawhidchoudhury1168 Probably Not

[@chunkemonke398]

Umm there are stairs already? I walk up the escalator because it’s faster than the stairs. Also I believe they’re built for walking and the person who invented escalators killed himself because people used it the wrong way

[@-.._.-_...-_.._-..__..._.-.-.-]

I've never waited in line to get on an escalator.

[@1personalt]

In NYC in Port Authority, this is very common.

[@financefreedom8988]

"Everybody stand" is only best when there's tons of people. During light traffic, stand right & walk left works perfectly.

[@doinked7312]

You’re probably an American where public transit is relatively nonexistent

[@elmomertens]

good for you

[@NottJoeyOfficial]

I went to Tokyo in 2019 and it was so much nicer to have escalator etiquette, never had to wait in line for an escalator even during rush hour at stations, especially since we could avoid the lines if one happened to build up by just walking up the escalator. It was so nice to have the option to walk up, everyone here just stands on the escalator so you have no choice to walk up.

[@DesiPhilosophy]

Can't Escalators be in pairs of 2, where one is specifically meant for standing, other for walking. Good design is not about changing people's behaviour, it should aid their behaviour by changing itself.

[@luckyblockyoshi]

that would take up way too much space and already existing escalators, especially in subway tunnels etc. probably aren't able to make space for that, not to mention that would be way too expensive to install another pair of escalators and especially making the space for that extra pair in already existing escalators

[@ayoiawe]

You can just have normal stairs and then single line elevators

[@weriscanexplode]

I dont see this as a design problem, so much as a people-only-think-about-themselves problem. It's the same with traffic. Most traffic is really caused by people making poor, selfish, decisions, rather than driving in a way which encourages good flow.

[@digiquo8143]

@@weriscanexplode Lots of traffic problems are also caused by poor roadway design that misleads drivers into driving a certain way when they should drive differently. There's a video on how many suburban streets are highly unsafe because they're designed like highways instead of actual streets.

[@burgernthemomrailer]

Jacob Smith alright cool, we know it’s that, so how are we gonna fix it? exactly, we aren’t.

[@JoeJoe-lq6bd]

It’s only inefficient at maximum capacity. For most situations, walking on one side and standing on the other is faster.

[@AugustoRallo]

Shhhhh, no using reason here. Just hivemind posting.

[@AnoNymous-dh2sv]

Not only that is needed to say the video is utterly naive. It misses the entire point people walk/run on them, TO GO EVEN FASTER. PS. It's not even unethical by being selfish, SOMEONE MAY HAVE AN EMERGENCY.

[@celluskh6009]

And at maximum capacity they tend to fill up and people are stuck standing on both sides anyway, which makes this entire video moot. Shitty maintenance or sub-standard equipment certainly isn't commuters' fault.

[@AnoNymous-dh2sv]

@@celluskh6009 Oh yeah equipment quality was also extremely misleading on the video. The fact a stairs may break is absolutely irrelevant to a public discussion (because simply they can be made robust to not even enter the discussion, and most of modern ones seem to be anyway).

[@FallOfTheLiving]

not only that but weaving in and out of people as a walker would on an escalator, not at capacity would increase the risks of injuries and falls moving from handrail to handrail is bad

[@KungFuPanda1223]

me: hm i think i will jaywalk traffic clown: no

[@HowMethods]

Correction traffic mime: **no**

[@Lernos1]

@@HowMethods Correction traffic mine: **kaboom**

[@darthXreven]

@@Lernos1 correction [mime's power ring blast]

[@Supersmile330]

Very punny

[@torugho]

Jaywalking is normal and rather acceptable in most of Brazil (where they got that footage from)

[@briannabeckwith6269]

when my train is coming im not going to stand down the escalator, im going to run or else im going to be waiting another 20 min

[@LilliD3]

I don't understand how people don't understand that there are people who are in a hurry and people who are not.

[@pullt]

@@LilliD3 You'd get there faster if everyone stood on both sides...you may save 10-15 seconds by walking up, but congestion caused from people queuing for seperate sides costs you 20 seconds before you can even get on the escalator. Of course, you aren't happy with everyone saving 10-15 seconds, you want to save another 10 seconds because you are a super important VIP....so now everyone gets where they need more slowly, including you....

[@LilliD3]

@@pullt I have already commented why that doesn't work. People aren't equally mixed but more people that want to walk wait on the left side and the ones that want to stand wait more on the right. If I'm hurrying to another platform a few seconds are incredibly important. They can make a difference of 15 minutes on a trip.

[@LilliD3]

@@pullt it would be even faster if everyone walked

[@pullt]

@@LilliD3 could just as easily state: Everyone would be on time if they left earlier....

[@JJ-rm7jw]

"Stand closer together on the escalator..." This did not age well... 🤣

[@Technochocolate]

Have separate escalators for walkers and standers. Walkers can get there faster, and standers can stand on both sides. Does my approach improve total capacity? Maybe not, but it does prevent uneven loading of the escalators.

[@dubious6718]

They exist, they are called stairs, but why put in stairs when you can have an escalator..

[@moondust2365]

Actually it does, especially in a bottleneck crowding situation. Because there's a now *obvious* divide, not only is there not gonna be any blockers, but the walkers get to step on the escalator more because they're not blocked by the standers. And because there's an extra lane and less volume on the stander escalator, more people will be able to go to the escalator. It also cuts the waiting time on for both. Although, it would be recommended for the walkers to have one person per n number of steps since if one half has a slower walker than the other, there's gonna be more weight/time, causing an inbalanced weight ditribution. That would be okay for normal conditions, but if it gets crowded, it *could* lead to the escalator breaking. Also, the walkers (even if in, and especially in, the same lane) should walk at a similar speed to avoid bumping, bottlenecking the escalator, etc.

[@mrkoala5127]

Sounds like a plan to me.

[@creativesparks2164]

Dubious so lazy people can use their legs + they have more escalators than stairs eveywhere

[@CaptainCocaine]

Current left-side standers will simply stand on the walk-only escalators. Left-side standers don't care about anybody but themselves.

[@ymeynot0405]

@Cheddar - The taking up three steps for walkers vs 1 step for standers is very bad math. A) The walkers might take up 3 steps but they do so for a shorter duration than the people who are standing as they are traveling faster. B) No one stands on the step directly behind the person in front of them. They have backpacks or other objects that hang over the steps making it unlikely that they would use every step.

[@Skooteh]

You aren't wrong but those factors don't add up enough to outweigh peoples being packed more closely. On average there is more throughput if no-one walks (see 4:45 of this video). The only fault I've seen in this video is the implied assumption that the escalator is the bottleneck.

[@ymeynot0405]

@@Skooteh - - Your comment doesn't excuse their bad math, nor does it address my comment about people refusing to stand on every step. In the USA it is very unlikely that two strangers would stand next to each other. It violates social norms (which I know is part of the video), and it would result in more crime/injuries. The bottleneck happens, but only in places in which you have large group of arrivals: subway, train, & bus stations.

[@Skooteh]

@@ymeynot0405 the 3 steps and 1 step assumption they make isn't exactly bad math, it's a visual aid they explained poorly. In reality the average amount of steps someone takes is going to be some weird, non-whole number that would only make this video more confusing. If you take up 2x as much space you need to go 2x as fast for the same throughput. Walkers, on average, don't do that. (again see 4:45 in the video). Different social norms will skew that 30% throughput number but I doubt it will be too much. "...and it would result in more crime/injuries." that's a dubious claim at best and also not really a part of this discussion.

[@lepidoptery]

@@Skooteh walkers will do that if there is enough of them and there isn't a really slow walker bogging everything down. The visual they provided does not apply when walkers themselves approach capacity. When things are truly busy walkers are as densely clustered as standers but pass through maybe twice as fast. The walkers would slightly benefit from those ppl standing instead of walking, but on average everyone would lose out. Injuries are relevant to the discussion, seeing as the video itself brings them up.

[@mindlesskris]

As a reference, maximum standing capacity escalator is when everyone is standing on both sides. The maximum standing capacity of "standing" walkers + standers is 4/6 given that walkers take up 3 steps. If the escalator has speed of 1 step/second, it also outputs 1 stander/second and 1/3 standing walkers/second. In order to match the standers, the walkers need to travel 3 steps/second. Make what you want of that.

[@isaactan4669]

build escalators that can withstand more on the standing side. problem solved

[@katierose1893]

Wow.. that's actually pretty fuckin smart

[@hoodiedoot]

I was thinking that the whole time

[@HibikiKano]

Won't solve it, escalators often change direction when needed for optimal people flow or during maintenence of one of the lanes, then the redesign to accommodate higher torsion stresses must be applied on both sides again. Considerably raising costs again. Also you still have the issue of having a ~30% lower people flow compared to standing on both sides. At this point might be just cheaper to add another escalator. One solution might be narrower escalators.

[@darrenliunardi2687]

At this point just add 2 for going up and 2 for going down

[@sacriste]

Easy to say not to implement

[@pr0xi_zura.]

1:52 Holy shit, it did start out as escalator land. “When do we get to the ride?” “This IS the ride!” “Yippee!!”

[@ErBear547]

Fairly odd parents reference ayye

[@Afong.]

I had never seen an escalator break down before. Thanks for scaring the shit out of me! 3:10

[@sugarrushmatthew5191]

That’s not it breaking down, there is a control button to speed it up. The people were not leaving so the staff had to push them down faster

[@solokom]

@@sugarrushmatthew5191 unlikely :D

[@smokyblackeyes3615]

@@sugarrushmatthew5191 why tf would they like to see human torture?

[@reinhardvanastrea9954]

Yeah don't look too much into it

[@redherring5532]

They don't break down they just become stairs

[@Xylarxcode]

Sign: 'Please stand on both sides of the escalator.' Me: I can't tear myself in two, sign! WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!

[@kosgoth]

my brother can't seem so stand to either side

[@marvnuts]

Just manspread!

[@hasangeez7531]

this comment should get more likes!

[@hasangeez7531]

welp now it does

[@Mikeological]

Stand in a power stance across the entire step

[@lilyaide4961]

Just make one thin escalator for walkers, one for standers. In the bay on BART there are certain narrow escalators meant for one person at a time. Having the option to move down steps as they are also descending is so nice. You feel like you get down twice as fast. Sometimes you like standing if you’re in no rush.

[@Jarekthegamingdragon]

Until I traveled, the fact that this was a thing at all was foreign to me. Keep in mind I did not grow up in the sticks, I was born and raised in Portland, OR. Portland is a real city. This stand on the right side thing does not exist here. The escalator moves on its own, just fucking wait it's not that hard.

[@cocainecowboy_]

I really could care less about standing, if I need to get somewhere I need to get somewhere fast

[@idontexist506]

Ok but if I’m at an airport and I have to be at my gate in 2 minutes I’m not gonna slowly go up two levels. I’m gonna freakin sprint

[@dlwatib]

Portland doesn't have a subway so it has no escalators that are very long.

[@arandombard1197]

@@idontexist506 Leave 2 minutes earlier.

[@StumpfForFreedom]

"Portland is a real city" 2020 proved that this was a lie.

[@whocares7629]

I'm just trying to figure out why I spent over 6 minutes on watching a video about steps.

[@cheery-hex]

I'm trying to figure out if I'm dense or just non-observant, b/c I've never witnessed this 'escalator etiquette'

[@workhardism]

Because you will likely spend way more than 6 min riding escalators throughout your life. Could be time well sent.

[@My_Alchemical_Romance]

Who Cares you and me both. Lol

[@monkeyatanofficedesk9253]

@@cheery-hex you might live in a country where they dont really use it. Like I live in wales and most places i go people stand on both sides, and then there ar some stairs next to it

[@PaperRaines]

Because the first ten seconds made you go "WTF???" 🤣🤣🤣

[@HelloKittyFanMan.]

"An average of one person per stair"? Umm... NOOO! I can barely imagine 1 person on every other stair, let alone the opposite of that: 2 per stair (for both sides of your "average")!

[@francescoazzoni3445]

I hate those weirdos who don't leave a free stair between you and them

[@lagsterino]

Francesco Azzoni wdym dude those steps are wider the staircase steps on pjrpose

[@MCellation]

We usually scold people for leaving steps empty around themselves. You gotta step up and fall in line, but then again that is another escalator-culture split.

[@francescoazzoni3445]

@@lagsterino it's a matter of personal space, i like to have at least 1 free stair before and after me

[@aekibunnie9746]

Francesco Azzoni i personally have to leave one stair between me and strangers but i’ll share a stair or leave no gap if it’s with a friend or family member

[@RonaldMcPaul]

Cheddar: Claims to have supported evidence of unsafety, letter to the editor from an old newspaper by a drunk guy.

[@SS-nr2zv]

1:06 now, that escalated quickly.

[@julesnatural]

the "taking up 3 steps vs 1" is totally not common here in Germany. Firstly, in standing you always leave a courtesy step inbetween you and the person in front. Also, they might have a backpack or bag of some sort, that will hang over on to the next step, so it's empty. Therefore, standing already takes 2 steps, not 1. And when it is that packed as the video showed repeatedly, many people choose to walk, and they will walk tightly, often also using only 2 steps, going directly into where the person walked before. So that 3 can be turned down to 1. Us Westerners don't like crowding, but walking the escalator gets us where we want fast. And I know, I know.. stairs! But some railways are built so you use the escalators. They HAVE stairs, but those are out of the way and a large deviation to go and take. Also, obivously, more steps. But just out of the way.. and I often have to rush from the subway to my further out train, and that one doesn't run every few minutes, it runs on the hour, if I'm lucky. So if I cut it close, I'm not going to want to stand behind others on the slow escalator, or go a long route for the stairs, or wait forever for the elevator, I'm walking up those escalators, because they are in the best spot, and the best possibility to still get my train.

[@GrandmaterP]

yep that escalator PSA is trash

[@croweater6814]

"Here in germany" I'll take your word for it, germans do every thing efficently.

[@InShortSight]

This, plus walkers spend less time on the escalator, so even if they did take up more space to walk, they take up less space over time. This video was a weak effort cheddar!

[@leDespicable]

Exactly my thought! Danke! Some stations don't even have stairs. The underground stations in Munich often times only have escalators, so a "standing-only rule" would cause more inconvenience than it would actually help.

[@panzer_TZ]

I also don't understand how one side standing causing more failures wouldn't be solved by engineering the parts on the standing side of the elevator to accommodate the extra wear.

[@makavelii7]

No need to walk if we can speed up the escalator by 30%

[@sankai91]

I think that would be contra-productive - there are a lot of eldery for whom the escalators are already a little too fast and they are sometime scared to get on them..

[@xxXthekevXxx]

OGSankai we could have a slow escalator for the elderly/handicapped and a fast one for the rest of us.

[@Firestar-rm8df]

@@xxXthekevXxx Faster escalator at 3:11

[@futbolita89742]

@@Firestar-rm8df whahahah. the real solution is to not change anything

[@Firestar-rm8df]

@@futbolita89742 Preach my brudda! For you kno da wei! *tungue clicking intensifies*

[@MaxMax-tt6db]

I have a few problems with this video, 1. It doesn't really mention the fact that walkers also leave the escalator more quickly. 2. When the escalator is really busy more people start walking 3. It is only talking about situations when the escalator is really full 4.doesnt account for the hurry some people might be in 5. Having to stand on a slow ass escalator when you are in a rush is going to increase stress levels

[@michaelroy6630]

That idea of hiring mimes to ridicule jaywalkers is absolutely genius

[@atenas80525]

Would that work with Congress?

[@kingpopaul]

Instead of splitting a single escalator by usage, just dedicate one to walking and one to standing. No load imbalance.

[@thomas-dr1is]

kingpopaul still wouldn’t work bc the walk would be way less crowded so people would just go on that one

[@PrezVeto]

@@thomas-dr1is taze em

[@groggers]

If you'd actually listened to the video, you would habe seen the examples they've listed where this has been trialed and then failed due to the arsehole nation we are, not giving a donkey

[@malamuger93]

@@groggers No, they merely tried stand-only escalators or to outright ban walking, but not separate escalators for each group.

[@boshlovely2002]

Marie Müller If people are willing to walk why Male separate escalators for them, why not have them use the stairs( and no the 10 seconds they save by walking on the escalator is not enough reason)

[@RandomisedUser42]

Cheddar: Why is it so hard to get everybody to ride the escalator the right way? Me: Because when I see an escalator, I have to run up the side that goes down.

[@iainbreen7835]

Are you five?

[@RandomisedUser42]

@@iainbreen7835 Nope. A full 22 years old ;)

[@twindexxx]

In my area is a escalator without stairs for Shopping carts and other thinks and i love running up and down the wrong side

[@pinkdolly]

My mom is an ICU nurse. One of her patients was an elderly woman who fell all the way down an escalator. She very nearly died, but instead survived after breaking many of her bones and having huge clumps of her skin scraped off. That story is enough to make me stand safely every time I’m on an escalator. It’s not worth the risk to earn a few more seconds from walking up.

[@johnp139]

The same thing could have happened with stationary stairs. If she is that clumsy, then she should have taken the elevator.

[@grassytramtracks]

Elderly people tend to have poor balance and coordination, as long as you look at the steps and hold the handrail I'm perfectly capable of walking up an escalator. The elderly should ideally use the lift if there is one anyway

[@pinkdolly]

@@grassytramtracks no common courtesy whatsoever. I guess it’s more important for you to rush to wherever you’re going than to use the escalator the way that’s safest for yourself and others riding it

[@dafightinfish2747]

How often are there enough people needing to use an escalator that it's even possible to use escalator's full capacity?...very infrequently. There is not a doubt in my mind that on all but the busiest of escalators, the method of standing on the right and walking on the left is the fastest way to go.

[@Skiplives]

DaFightinFish this is exactly the issue. If there is always a long queue for the escalator then the station designers need to add access capacity. So this should rarely be a problem except in rare stations with very limited access or very deep tunnels.

[@MadTheDJ]

Rush hour in any city with a transit system and escalators at the stations. This happens at least twice a day, five days a week and each one lasts longer than an actual hour (probably closer to 2 or 3 hours). So yeah, pretty frequently.

[@GREGORYABUTLER]

you've never been to New York City

[@Vermonstered]

Escalator capacity utilization doesn't directly equate to flow rate.

[@dawicool2]

exactly what i was thinking, they completely fail to adress that in this video

[@alvallac2171]

@@dawicool2 *address

[@dawicool2]

@@alvallac2171 alrighty then

[@erikhaight2152]

I think the terms appropriate here are latency & throughput. Throughput is the amount of materials or items passing through a process / system. latency is the delay for a single item to move through a process / system. Having a higher capacity on escalators does not mean lower latency, as in, it doesn’t take any less time for a single person to ride the escalator. However, it does mean higher throughput. There is more parallelization, and over a long period of time, the average number of people passed through the subway will be greater than that of a lower throughput. And with people walking on escalators, unless everyone can walk perfectly synchronous, then walking comes at a cost of extra space on the escalator and therefore lower throughput.

[@Vermonstered]

@@erikhaight2152 You're creating a more complicated model for no real reason. Latency basically has no bearing here as it's a continuous flow of people not an instruction set that needs data to make decisions. The only thing that matters is flow rate or throughput (semantics) to prevent backups. To automatically say that walking ensures a lower throughput is flatly wrong without taking into account the speed of the escalator and the speed of the walkers. Walkers, in my experience using the subway daily, are much less likely to leave extra spaces open as standers who want personal space. Because of this as long as walkers can match or go faster than the escalator speed (if you've ever taken the stairs you generally easily beat most escalators by a fair margin) the throughput will generally be equal to higher than the standing side. But without accounting for the escalator speed and walking speed any conclusion is a half baked one, much less one that arbitrarily gives walkers numerous detrimental attributes for no reason.

[@SoraCyn]

In China, the escalators move so fast and are typically crowded enough that it just feels too dangerous to walk (runners take the much wider and less crowded stairs in the middle). the only times you could get the split is like at 3am on the metro...

[@AAhmou]

Quite a great solution I guess.

[@fransoto8343]

This may be the best solution. Increase speed so that standing is actually faster than walking up normal stairs and then why bother walking? Also, they could be so fast that you could get injured if you started walking, to the point that since it's already going pretty fast, why bother?

[@tayloralexander4332]

which city do you live in? We get the split all the time in shanghai

[@turnipsociety706]

In Hangzhou, escalators go at a normal pace, but nobody walks and just stand randomly. Same at the airport, even on slow speed horizontal walkways, people just assume they are being driven.

[@yytyytg]

@@turnipsociety706 love shanghai

[@purvankitk]

3:11 that is the fastest escalator I've ever seen

[@Iris-yr5ox]

What if there was an escalator for standing and one for walking?🤔🤔

[@PTNLemay]

5:40 That's... the first time I've heard of Mimes demonstrably saving lives. Amazing.

[@feliciomm]

Brasil...sil...sill!

[@trombone7]

Finally, mimes making people feel uncomfortable, annoyed and singled out... for a purpose. Instead of making people feel uncomfortable, annoyed and singled out... for no reason.

[@ExtantThylacine]

Those letters to the editor, that escalated quickly.

[@Cjnw]

Normie

[@memphisstef3808]

NO YOU ESCALATED QUICKLY Lol sry😅

[@jmanakajosh9354]

idk why we have escalators why not just stairs? it seems like society is determined to make things expensive

[@MazaAzi]

It jumped up a notch.

[@campkira]

If it a norm then they will design it to take one side better than the other. There are two type of people how take. One want to had a break and the other who need to get off as soon as possible.

[@hannahloren]

am i the only one who has never heard of this unspoken rule? in my area, we just swivel around everyone else...

[@termiteconsumer7145]

same here

[@grahamsmith9541]

In London it is not an unspoken rule. It is written into the bylaws for using the underground.

[@hannahloren]

Graham Smith oh oop

[@chantelnthabisengchiloane6094]

This video is so fascinating for me because in my country (South Africa) there's always a staircase next to escalators. And it's considered good etiquette to stand on a an escalator. People who walk a ride because they could just take the stairs. Not to mention escalator always have a sign telling people not to walk.

[@a2falcone]

Walking on escalators is way faster than going up the stairs, though. It's not like walkers are mad or something.

[@BS-vx8dg]

@@a2falcone Exactly. I love the exhileration of walking, not only on escalators, but even more on moving sidewalks.

[@leDespicable]

Stations aren't always planned that way, unfortunately. There's a reason why escalator etiquette exists. People especially follow it in places that have many stations where normal stairs aren't there at all, or just not as direct of a route as the escalators are.

[@josiah-006]

I think you've oversimplified the problem. Walking on the escalator is more beneficial to the individual and society if there is no bottle neck. The problem is transitioning to bottleneck scenario

[@Zetsuke4]

Except many walk so slow that they're better off standing out of the way. I think you oversimplified the problem actually. It would be ideal if everyone walks fast but many people walks so slow that they leave so much space between them and the person in front of them. If only the people who walks really fast can dash up a stair meant just for athletic people.

[@alexanderchristopher6237]

@@Zetsuke4 then that defeats the purpose of elevators. If it's only for the best walkers, then why not use stairs?

[@nunliski]

@Maiahi Oh boohoo

[@ClarinoI]

@Maiahi I always take regular stairs two at a time for this reason.

[@abdisaniini]

@@ClarinoI Everybofy does that, it's like drinking a speed boost on every set of stairs,

[@Greg_Rock]

But planners can just build a faster moving, single lane, fast-walk only escalator to the side of the larger, stand-only ones...

[@Abdullah34610]

If you make it faster moving then that would increase the risk for injury, especially when paired with someone in a rush. The increased speed would also increase wear and tear on the machine, having it break down more often and not be as economical for the owner. Designing it specially so it lasts longer would then just make the initial cost higher, making it less likely to be purchased. As a walker, I prefer taking the stairs if there is one. They're less crowded, and I dont lose much time if I'm walking anyway.

[@Catsincages]

@@Abdullah34610 Those are just design and engineering challenges not reasons it can't be done.

[@nietur]

How about a... staircase?

[@Abdullah34610]

@@Catsincages - didn't say it can't be done. I'm saying it wouldn't be as viable with the increased costs and safety risks. The entity buying the escalator probably doesn't want to pay more for something that can cause more lawsuits. There's a lot that engineers can do, but dont because it's not economically feasible. The world is based around money. Doesnt matter if someone thinks something is cool, if there's no money in it, it's unlikely it'll ever get done.

[@sylkates]

Lol. It's "fast walk only" up until the point that a single person decides to stand still on it. Which will happen constantly.

[@NottJoeyOfficial]

I went to Tokyo in 2019 and it was so much nicer to have escalator etiquette, never had to wait in line for an escalator even during rush hour at stations, especially since we could avoid the lines if one happened to build up by just walking up the escalator. It was so nice to have the option to walk up, everyone here just stands on the escalator so you have no choice to walk up.

[@kevinkent6351]

Makes sense when it’s crowded but as a DC Metro user, the escalators are often not that crowded, so the standing only would definitely slow things down in many circumstances.

[@AtrumNuntius]

So the solution is to hire teams of beefy Mime bouncers to ridicule people into submission?

[@solokom]

Oui.

[@o0o0sasa]

The walkers take up more steps, yes, but their traveling speed is also faster; hence the transporting effectiveness of the walking side may not be worse, or even better than the standing side, depending on the walking speed.

[@DaveM-js4mw]

This is the point that i didn't see mentioned. Suppose the video is correct in saying walkers require 3 steps space on average as opposed to 1. If they move down or up at 3 times the speed of the escalator itself, then there will be as many people passing on the walking side as the standing side. With slow moving escalators, this isn't impossible (despite the fact that most people still choose to stand). I prefer to walk, especially when climbing, as stair climbing is excellent exercise

[@user-qo7tk8km6j]

also in rush hours walkers lane is just as packed, and people are pretty much walking (sometimes not even that fast) up each others asses one step away.

[@PBNrandom]

Problem is, there are more "standers" than "walkers" on escalators most of the time, hence the wasted space.

[@antimatter_nvf]

Well, intuitively the walkers should be faster and thus waste less of everybody's time right? But the problem is often not the escalator itself, but the build-up. Since both walkers and standers are in the same crowd and since only a half of space is used by standers it's a longer wait for everyone, especially on longer escalators. Hence the findings of the trial in Holborn station, London and the reason why during rush hour in Moscow passengers are asked to stand on both sides. www.gizmodo.co.uk/2017/03/the-results-are-in-the-holborn-escalator-trial-proves-that-it-is-better-to-stand-on-the-escalator-well-sometimes/

[@antimatter_nvf]

You may suggest separating walkers and standers before they reach the escalator and that could work well in some places, however many stations may not be adequately designed for this kind of separation, already it being quite difficult to place separators right in front of the middle of the escalators especially where there are many parallel ones. This also doesn't avoid the safety problems, including the uneven tear caused to the escalator parts.

[@AllHailZeppelin]

I like how during the clip of the woman saying “Please stand on BOTH sides of the escalator”, there are two different people walking up.

[@luckyluke5638]

When it comes to safety you could just, you know, design the right side of the escalator to be stronger

[@testaccount3880]

Bruh that's not how this works

[@luckyluke5638]

@@testaccount3880 Teach me then

[@justinklt]

Some places have installed escalators with space the width of a single person so you are only able to stand in the middle.

[@superalvin7208]

Wouldn’t work for america because they have a lot of fat people

[@gabemerritt3139]

@@superalvin7208 especially because those said people are all standers that take up an entire normal escalator anyways

[@name-fv4du]

@@gabemerritt3139 how does that make sence

[@gabemerritt3139]

@@name-fv4du a fat person takes up two people's worth of space and will also likely refuse to walk

[@gabrielxavier2676]

@@name-fv4du he suggests that fat people already take the most part of the step, and usually are "standers", which mean they already block passage and hurt efficiency as it is. If when reducing the step size you consider 1 not-fat person you would hurt fat mobility/risk their health, if you consider 1 fat, it will be kept the same size.

[@mislav9951]

Did not know about this problem bc here in Croatia we stand on both sides of the elevetor. Well majority does

[@samuelcolt1505]

From what I've seen here everyone stands in the middle.

[@karinamasso7948]

Same in my city in Mexico. I haven't heard about this before.

[@leDespicable]

I commute to Munich every day, and there this unwritten rule of "stand on the right, walk on the left" exists. When I met up with a few friends in Essen (city in North-Rhine Westphalia) I was almost shocked that people didn't follow this rule there. In my eyes, they were all blocking the escalators o.o

[@robokill387]

Here in Scotland too.

[@bigbang238]

As well in France

[@writerpatrick]

It depends on the design of the escalator. Some are only made to be one person wide. In that case walking is only possible if the escalator is empty. It also makes a difference whether the escalator is located in a subway or in a mall. This issue is very much a big city problem since smaller cities don't have subways.

[@acosta829]

This etiquette takes into consideration the speed by which the individual wants to go and not the whole crowd. Not all people want to use the escalator at the same speed.

[@LilliD3]

Some people are in a hurry. Others aren't.

[@Tom-dt4ic]

This is silly logic. In my experience, when there is a traffic jam at the bottom or top of an escalator, people ride standing on both sides thereby maximizing capacity. The stand on one side rule only comes into play when there aren't that many people needing a ride...which is most of the time.

[@geebster.]

You havent encountered many assholes then. From my experience theres always the people trying to push their way up the escalator at peak times when people are mostly standing.

[@crebegea]

Yeap, it just regulates itself naturally. No need for the "smart" people to tell me what to do in this case. It just bears on mind control already.

[@nadeemshaikh7863]

@Rick Lokers I don't understand. People in my entire life have always understood escalators with 'standing' and looked upon people that are walking as fools and stairs as 'walking'.

[@KEVBOYMUSIC]

@Rick Lokers Wouldn't someone who isn't lazy just use the fucking stairs?

[@dammagrilla]

@@KEVBOYMUSIC not necessarily, moving stairs are still more efficient than using regular stairs...

[@danielcuevas5899]

1:20 “WHY DO BOSTON PEOPLE HAVE SO MUCH TIME?!” Rofl

[@PhilipWarda]

I've just realised this channel isn't very coherent

[@kindlin]

I noticed that while ago, the videos are still fun.

[@pprophet]

Philip Warda they’re just a wannabe vox but they have yet to master the simple task of answering the title question lmao

[@samanthamonaghan7579]

why not make them wider to allow standing on sides with walking up centre?

[@almahnak12]

running up something while its actively moving below you without and handrails is a great idea

[@JacksonMarvel]

These numbers seem very flawed in my opinion. Ive lived in NYC, Copenhagen, and Paris, and I've witnessed more people walking up the escalator than standing. This is the case for almost every city, anytime of day. The "fact" that only 1/5 of people walk up the escalator seems very flawed and wrong. I would like to know exactly where, when, and how this study was done. And the proposed solution makes it seem more inefficient; people get to their locations slower. It's not about capacity, its about ease of travel and how quick people want to get to their location.

[@mariushagelskjr5452]

there's always some idiot standing on the walk side in Denmark though, it's always so nice when I'm in other countries and I can walk up the whole walk side.

[@FilipeMiaoumiam]

@@mariushagelskjr5452 there're also idiots standing on the walk side in Paris, but then I guess they're tourists :)

[@prim16]

Exactly.

[@JoseFloresEC]

Probably went to some college to do the study tbh

[@HondaFanUA]

As a New Yorker, I agree. Most of the time at least 60-80% of the people are walking/running on the escalator

[@artdreadnought9445]

"I have 2 minutes to catch my train on the other side of the station, but sure, I will just stand on this escalator" And don't say, just take the stairs... My Trainstation has either stairs or escalators, not both.

[@MrHenkkkie]

Exactly, either my train or bus is delayed, then I have to run, or my train or bus is perfectly on time and no need to rush. It depends on the trains and busses if I am a stander or walker.

[@RubenGoMoRadioboyPlus]

Let the government know about your problem. I will never let you pass me.

[@artdreadnought9445]

@@MrHenkkkie absolutely

[@dirtypure2023]

@@RubenGoMoRadioboyPlus You seem like a terrible person.

[@kpp28]

@@dirtypure2023 I would not let you pass me no matter the hurry too, I have no obligation to do so. Don't let your problem affect others.

[@GamingAiyu]

I think if you're a stander you should just take the elevator. leave the moving stairs to those who will make use of it properly.

[@Kokabiel2]

Actually, escalators in Japan do have landings where the escalator becomes a flat moving walkway for a bit before becoming a set of stairs again. It’s pretty cool actually. Threw me off guard when I first saw it. I’m not sure why they have them instead of just a normal one tho.

[@eliten0Ob]

Sure, this deals with the issue of CAPACITY, but what about THROUGHPUT? Just implement two escalator pairs, and make each a dedicated walk/stand only during rushour.

[@cookiebandit18]

I do like that idea, it is really expensive though. Most of the escalators that face this problem in a meaningful way are in metro/subway systems. That means that they're in deep and long underground caverns that need to face significant construction to be widened enough to accommodate more escalators. As someone who was born and raised in the DC metro system, it can barely stand up to the strain of shutting down a station for basic escalator maintenance, which is a far cry from sweeping, long term, renovations on most of the stations in the system. Don't get me wrong, I too am a walker, and I value my need to get to my destination in a timely fashion, especially when being a little slow could mean missing the train. I just don't think that extra escalators in viable.

[@alpha0090]

If we had unlimites budget and space then yeah go for it. But this is highly unrealistic. As the upkeep alone would be hard.

[@Wymdragon]

A second escalator doesn’t address the safety issue for walkers though.

[@iainbreen7835]

@@cookiebandit18 I don't know about america, but in Stockholm every larger subway station has two escalators so it definitely wouldn't be a problem.

[@iainbreen7835]

at least two*

[@davidb5205]

Seems like an design problem, not a social engineering problem. You made previous videos about how footpaths influenced campus design and how poor street design causes accidents. What's so different about this? Why is the onus all of a sudden on the user and not the designer?

[@SergioLongoni]

also, standing on one side may be a social norm but it's enforced with signs on many escalator around the world

[@sheashay17]

Riiiiigghhhht! 👏👏

[@djm5687]

Would making several narrower (1 person wide) escalators at multiple speeds (1 faster) alleviate some of the stand vs walk issues?

[@anuragshah5146]

You have some of the most interesting and original topics not found anywhere else

[@sandersk2605]

The makers of this video are deffinitly standers, they don't get us goers man

[@keiyakins]

I am under no obligation to accommodate your dangerous and irrational bullshit.

[@keiyakins]

@@markdavis7397 I walk up them. But they're sized for human strides and aren't moving, unlike escalators.

[@sandersk2605]

People didn't get i was joking it seems xD You do you, if you wanna stand or go it's not the end of the world

[@r_se]

@@markdavis7397 bad day?

[@proudbeaner696]

@@sandersk2605 No you wanted to Annoy people

[@jallapogus3452]

Imagine being hired to make fun of people's stupidity

[@ShinyAndChrome]

I'd love that job

[@heekimsang]

They're called comedians

[@Richard_Nickerson]

I wish

[@BramLastname]

There's enough of them

[@jabber1990]

hired? i've been doing it for free all these years, i'm in the wrong job

[@cait.]

Am I the only one who has never heard of people standing on one side and walking up the other? I always just stand right in the middle like I thought I was supposed to do lol

[@iluomobravo]

Your reasons for not walking on the escalator weren’t compelling enough.

[@almahnak12]

don't use escalators if you can use the stairs perfectly fine ya lazy bums let grandma use them instead

[@yeetusdeletus362]

@@almahnak12 BuT THe EsCaLAtOR Is FaaStER!!!11!1!!1

[@almahnak12]

@@yeetusdeletus362 *𝒊 𝒂𝒎 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒆𝒅*

[@uhbeel]

I’m from the west coast and I only learned about the split when I traveled east for the first time. From my experience, in Honolulu and Las Vegas, the cities where I’ve lived, there is no rule where to stand/walk. In malls, hotels, casinos, and other places with escalators people just stand on them on either side. I think it stems from two things: 1) Las Vegas and Honolulu are two major tourist destinations. Everyone has brought in different ways of riding the escalator so we all just use them however we feel like. 2) Las Vegas and Honolulu do not have subways. From my experience it seems like the split is present in places with subways or in areas people use them on their daily commute. That being said, Las Vegas and Honolulu are dominated by cars and all that rush can only really be seen on our roads. Escalators here are really only in leisurely areas like malls, hotels, and casinos; places where people aren’t in any rush.

[@NatureShy]

That is the same way in the Pacific Northwest.

[@switchtheflip9422]

Same in Texas.

[@olgabecci6685]

I was thinking about a cultural problem. If you have go to Rome, there they don't really respect the "split" and it might be because there are a lot of tourist in Rome, but I was thinking why I wouldn't respect "the rule": if I'm walking with somebody else, I prefer standing next to them. I was thinking about this because the first time I went to London I was amazed at the silence in the overcrowded underground. I guess that not everybody wants or has company during their morning commute, but nobody? I just find that strage.

[@JerEditz]

I mean, so far in the LA Metro (which there is some subways lines) runners just take the stairs, since escalators are being used by standers. I guess in that case, its because it just comes down to personal position on the matter and more open space. If there is an up and down escalator always filled and a very wide stairs in the middle, better to take the stairs.

[@sihplak]

Same in the midwest and its honestly kind of infuriating. I don't want to wait; I want to go through my day efficiently, doing menial tasks like shopping in the least amount of time. If people are standing on an escalator in the mall taking up the entire damn thing then they're slowing me down, and it's really rage inducing. There honestly need to be escalators that are separated for walkers and standers.

[@JaychandranPadayasi]

"Commuters face more stress than fighter pilots or riot police" Okay what now? There's no way this is true.

[@zwz.zdenek]

This is no TV. You can downvote the video and pick a better one. There are youtubers who do their research right.

[@TheCrispAlien]

My guess it's true in terms of quantity. Commuters experience commute stress more often than when riots happen and when someone has to fight with a plane as commuting happens for a lifetime rather than a few years of a life.

[@amberlewis012]

I do. Everyone does. Come to Hong Kong.

[@PlanetGoddess]

Look it up yourself if you have doubts

[@HerbaMachina]

I think it's more of a difference between prolonged stress vs acute stress, during your commute you could be stressed the entire commute vs a fighter pilot where your stress levels only peak while engaged in combat or when an equipment failure happens on your plane.

[@raighteous7165]

As someone who likes to escalate with speed and efficiency by my own means, this is a no thank you from me.

[@napoleonibonaparte7198]

Put chairs on the escalators and hire “attendants”, then treat it like a luxury... Piss the people off, they’ll use stairs instead... healthier and more efficient.

[@matsv201]

4:20 A walker take 3 steps and a stander just 1. This is a total error of logic. Yes a walker takes more space. But doing so during a shorter period. So the capacity is actually the same. This error in logic is very common. Also people comparing the space of bikes to cars don´t understand that because the cars move much faster, while taking more space when they are on the road. The timexspace they use is actually not that much more of a bike

[@dreamkasper9988]

exactly! even if a walker is taking up more space , he is also going up that much faster which means exactly same number of people are being accomodated in an escalator that are walking and standing . this youtuber is just a dumbass.

[@Ethan-ik1nm]

A standee doesn't even take up 1 step, as he said, we like personal space. If you stand on the very step behind a stranger it's gonna be very discomforting for both of you, people usually leave 1, occasionally 2 steps in-between each other

[@dreamkasper9988]

@@Ethan-ik1nm completely irrelevant and useless point . thank you. it doesnt matter how many steps a person take if you cant tell by reading the comment and my reply above .

[@Ethan-ik1nm]

@@dreamkasper9988 not here for your lecture since I don't remember posting that comment in reply to you. Mind your business I read the comment, hence why I replied to it, didn't read your comment and certainly won't now since you feel entitled to tell me what I can and can't say when I wasn't even replying to your comment smh

[@chase_saddy]

Ethan Yeah the Dream Kasper person is a douche lol

[@NotQuiteFirst]

The walkers are walking because they want to get along with their individual journey more quickly, and there's no reason for them to be thinking about it from the perspective of the good of society at large. Also, most of the times I've ever used an escalator it isn't so very busy that there's a queue of people waiting to get on, which is the only time the efficiency boost of all standing matters. In a huge amount of times (see all clips in the first 20 seconds of this video) the standing/walking combo works perfectly well. I think that maybe having a "standing only" rule at peak times in train stations during rush hour could work, but all other places and times the combo system is good. Also, if the standing on the right convention is so well established for so long, surely the manufacturers can take this into account and reinforce the right side so it will not eventually fail.

[@kauske]

Leave 5 minutes earlier in the morning, that will bu you a ton more time than walking on an escalator. It's like how weaving in traffic does you literalyl no good, and just fucks it up for everyone else. And if "reinforcing the right side" is so easy, please do show me the technical specs for how to do it. And how to do it cost-effectively. ;)

[@MrHenkkkie]

@@kauske When my train is delayed, I only have a few minutes to walk from the train platform to the busses to get to my bus. No way I am going to stand on the escalator then. If I miss my bus then I have to wait for another half hour. Running to the bus saves about 2 minutes compared to walking. If the train is on time, I don't have to rush and I have enough time to stand on the escalator.

[@kauske]

@MrHenkkkie Leave earlier, or get a boss that understands you are not responsible for transit delays. Trying to shove past people on en escalator isn't going to help you much.

[@MrHenkkkie]

​@@kauske I try to only walk on the escalator when the situation permits. My point is not really about getting late, but about the half hour waiting time if I miss the bus. If the difference between being a walker or a stander is 30 minutes, why not walk on the escalator? Besides that, my fellow public transport users on the escalator will know from experience that I am walking/running to make it to the bus or train :)

[@MrSpeakerCone]

At peak times the walking lane becomes a defacto standing lane through sheer weight of traffic anyway.

[@jakob1349]

Next to other points already have been listed in the comments below the video, the creators also did not pay attention to the fact of time preasure, because in my case it is mostly the only reason i do not stand on the escalator while going up or downstairs. it's simply the fact that I want to get my train, steping is faster than standing :F

[@iam_joshua_bcxvii]

When im still commuting to work, I always use the stairs available on underpasses in Makati when i can't walk on the escalator. So for me, walking on one side and standing on the other side of escalators would be great. Makes me able to go up or down faster. Cuz in the Philippines, public transportation is shyte, that if you are late by a couple minutes, the next UV express may not arrive for another hour or two.hence id be stuck waiting in line for longer,happened to me a couple of times already. Tiz is why i walk as fast as i can to be able to arrive on transpo terminal and fall in line earlier than others, hehe.

[@Viper4ever05]

ah the best way to change human behavior, humiliating them.

[@edwardkong8574]

but, the Chinese government can't be humiliated, not even when you point out that they kill their own.

[@Viper4ever05]

Ed governments never feel shame and every government kills their own. Some just kill them at different frequencies than others.

[@someones5551]

@@Viper4ever05 Governments are made up of individuals, don't make up such silly assumptions

[@damirock98]

No one: Still no one: Literally any soul: JK Rowling: *Actually Harry was a stander*

[@davidnguyen9065]

Irrelevant

[@Lellistair]

Elephant

[@savitoon2287]

Lellistair ear elephant

[@joehoe222]

Telefant

[@obliviouz]

@@davidnguyen9065 Like Rowling?

[@KingMe-qz2hr]

I love the clip of the automated video saying “Please stand on both sides of the escalator” with someone walking in the background

[@Zdrange03]

In New York nobody knows of this escalator/stair etiquette (stand right, walk left). Not that they decided to break the etiquette just because, it's just because they haven't figured it out yet.

[@ErdemDerebasoglu]

Your assumption is "more people prefer to stand" which is not always true. But where I live, both sides of the escalator is full and there is no empty space on the left. So it is faster if people walk.

[@mark22732]

Yeah, it's obviously different in different places, but where I'm from, both sides are full, and the walkers dont have near that much wasted space around them, they just get where they need to be faster.

[@nutlover3609]

Where I live, if one side is empty the walkers or the standers will take that empty space. This video is trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist

[@antimatter_nvf]

At Holborn station it was found that 115 people moved per minute on the walking-standing escalator and 151 per minute at only standing escalators, so standing does increase capacity at longer escalators. Sadly, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few

[@antimatter_nvf]

@@nutlover3609 Perhaps you may be lucky to live in a not very crowded place (well, me too), but during rush hour in Moscow or London for example it's simply impossible to stand on the walker's side and vice versa. Another issue is safety. They have valid concerns at 2:41 to 3:20. Escalator collapse is terrifying...

[@BlackSharkfr]

It's the difference between speed for one person, and speed for the group (overall capacity). Walking requires 2x the amount of space : the step you're on and at least one free step ahead. Therefore, in order to match the capacity of standing, walkers need to climb at least as fast as the escalator already does. Given the effort and length of the escalators, it is no wonder that on average walking reduces capacity. Add in the fact that most escalators are quite tight and walkers are often slowed by having to push large people, step around luggage (or over), etc... and you are pretty much guaranteed to always end up with reduced capacity.

[@defaultmesh]

3:02 make one side heavier 4:00 did you just *_assume_* that most people prefer to stand rather than to walk 4:05 yes, the walkers take up more space, *_BECAUSE THEY WALK_* 5:05 you know what, let's ditch the fast lane on highways and make all lanes the same speed, *_for the common good_*

[@yeeted9466]

I will walk up them till the day I die, and if doing so makes that day come quicker, so be it

[@almahnak12]

walk up the stairs :D gets you some more exercise and its less dangerious

[@bicycler]

Tourists on the escalators in Chicago will frequently step off the escalator and stop because they don't know where they need to go. It's creates the rare and delightful scenario of needing to shove someone for their own good.

[@elietheprof5678]

If there's 2 escalators going the same direction, how about just labelling one as "standing only" and the other as walking. No imbalanced loads anymore.

[@jonas8588]

Exactly.

[@wooshbait6023]

Holy shit You solved the impossible PREACH

[@redX111t]

I don't think the manufacturers like that, the risk of injury being a thing and they don't want to take responsibility for it.

[@simonbennett1915]

Because people will slow down crossing between them to follow the rules and as a result will eventually just ignore them

[@burritowyrm6530]

yo i thought it was a difficulty setting Going up-easy mode Stairs-normal Going down-hard mode Side dividers-nightmare

[@NotQuiteFirst]

0:27 "They are unable to pass the stout party" Lol I love the old fashioned phrasing

[@rbvfeehfbudenrj]

Hooman: do something that reduces work time Coompany: no do this: Shows perfect model of how to walk on a staircase

[@r2b2ct1]

I don't know man. I have been to and lived in a lot of very busy major cities around the world - NYC, Tokyo, Seoul, etc. I tend to find that when escalators are very backed up they turn into de facto standing only because standers will always get stuck on the walking side if everyone is cramming on. It really only takes one stubborn stander to make it a standing only lol. Also, it is better to have both when it is not backed up because not everyone is on the same schedule, some are in a hurry and some would rather relax. It's not just that people feel stressed when they don't have a choice, it's that they get stressed when they are running late and can't do something about it.

[@michaelns9887]

I'm late, boy! I will not be standing for 7 minutes on an escalator in Kiev

[@datvu6]

Uhhhh... Wake up sooner then? You can't let your problem to affect other peoples.

[@igortarasow]

That's a fun ride, you can go through all regret stages 2 times each day, I'm usually reading book while riding it

[@19Sherlock70]

@@datvu6 I wake up soon enough, thank you very much. Its the damn train drivers that keep oversleeping. So I have to hurry to catch the connecting train.

[@frank4425]

@@19Sherlock70 If you have to hurry, you woke up late. Simple as that

[@19Sherlock70]

@@frank4425 I can get up a day early and still end up being late, it is not always my own fault. Sometimes, only sometimes, I grant you that, it may be other peoples fault.

[@Frank85t]

No one: Entire comment section: *THAT ESCALATED QUICKLY*

[@lifeissoup_iamfork]

NO

[@Zetsuke4]

No one: You: No one: Entire comment section: THAT ESCALATED QUICKLY

[@PhantomAyz]

Woah! That escalated quickly!

[@kokkiri.]

In my city, you stand on the escalator and walk on the stairs.. (we always have them next to the escalator)

[@fintanbeirne7261]

That’s great. But in a deep level tube station (for example) that wouldn’t work, generally the stairs exist for Emergancy use only as the stations are deep enough that normal stairs are hazardous. Also, as a Walker (sometimes runner) my goal is speed walking/running on an escalator is significantly faster than stairs and normally I can cut a good 5 minutes out of my total journey. That said a lot of London’s transport is very disabling in the way it requires long pedestrian journeys in the stations.

[@ManabuMiwa]

Just use good old stairs, for our health! :)

[@rommysoeli]

Climbing 2 or 3 flight of stairs is fine, but more than that would make you get sweaty and not fit well into office or class environment.

[@almahnak12]

Exactly

[@BirdTurdMemes]

@@rommysoeli if you’re getting sweaty from walking the stairs you need to walk the stairs more

[@jb6712]

Some of us cannot use stairs, "for our "health"," because of mobility limitations, or those whose heart can't take the stress of climbing, but we also don't require wheelchairs. Not everyone's health is going to be improved by a device (stairs) they can't possibly use.