You know what always surprises me? The number of young (by which I mean, not elderly or infirm), able-bodied people who stand on escalators.
Why do they suddenly stop moving? Did they deposit a coin? Are they on a ride?
If everything today is about instant gratification, speed and short attention spans, then why does the lounge-on-the-escalator phenomenon persist?
I never ‘ride’ escalators, preferring to get exercise (great for the glutes), save time, and avoid the bad karma of blocking other people.
And I’d like to invite you to join me. Come on, gang!
If there are stairs, let’s use them. If there’s only an escalator, let’s keep moving.
We’ll:
- Save time
- Feel more energetic (standing around can be an energy-drainer)
- Burn calories (285 calories per 30 minutes for a person weighing 150 pounds [68.04 kg])
- Possibly motivate others.
So how about it?
Leave a comment if you’re willing to commit to abandoning escalators with me. Maybe we’ll even start a movement. *chuckles’
[Image by trentroche]
Many years ago there was a young person playing around on the escalator fell and got hurt. They had to stop the escalator to free the person. The moral of the story is escalators are not play equipment.
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I ride the escalator but I stay to the left and walk up. If you’re going to stand still then stay to the right so that I don’t have to ask you to please move over when I walk up by you. It’s the polite thing to do.
How about elevators? Why do so many people use elevators even for one or two floors? It seems especially odd at our YMCA where many use the elevator to get to the 2nd floor for their exercise class, or to walk or jog on the track.
Good post!, I’m in!! 😀 ..I don’t get it with standing on an Escalator OR taking stairs.
I always take the escalator but I MOVE at the same time. That is really time saving!!!… and sometimes other people get the idea and start walking too.
But maybe its a “oh, the whole world is in a hurry, so now let’s just calm down for a minute” kind of thing.
Greetings from Germany,
cloudy
Whereas most times I’ll walk, sometimes I do like the opportunity to stop and think / reflect and still be moving. Everything’s already so much on the go.
The other day I stopped for a moment outside a cafe with my dog and baby pram but I unknowingly blocked the footpath. An elderly gentleman looked at me angrily saying “is there a chance?”, I replied “yes, there’s a chance” and casually moved aside. What I really mean’t to say is “yes, there’s a chance that the 5 seconds wait won’t ruin your life”.
I don’t know, maybe those inevitable distractions & disruptions can be treated as welcome breaks from the fast pace of everyday life?
RT @MicheleConnolly Let's start a movement! | Join Me: Be An Escalator Eschewer http://ow.ly/2Kpr7
I’m in! We don’t encounter escalators too often because we’re not in a city, but we’ll walk up the steps from now on when we come across one!
Join Me: Be An Escalator Eschewer http://bit.ly/aNg0ix
Join Me: Be An Escalator Eschewer http://bit.ly/aNg0ix
I agree. Why do people suddenly stop and 'ride' escalators? – http://bit.ly/byApOe
RT @MicheleConnolly Join Me: Be An Escalator Eschewer http://bit.ly/ah0rnY
I’m in. I *love* how Sydney peak-hour commuters rush off the train, elbowing people out of the way through the ticket gates, push and weave around the slower pedestrians, arrive at the escalators and completely stop! For the ride.
Then at the top of the escalator its rush-rush again. Bizarre.
We need to come up with a polite way of asking people to move to one side so we can get past though – I don’t want to be rude or offend people who have decided they are having a free ride.
I’m in! No more escalator-riding for me.