Escalators: Walk or Stand

[iff]

What do you usually do?

for example if eople are standing in front of you, you can't walk up as it is impossible so this if you have freedom to choose what do do, what do you do?

 

I will walk up and down escalators

[Grumpy Alien]

I stay to the right and stand. That way other people can walk up if they want. I don’t have that kind of energy.

[andreas1033]

Yep, i never liked that way that you have to stand behind people.

 

I always used to walk, up and down escalators, as quickly as possible.

[KaceyCat]

I mean, neither, I use a wheelchair so elevator and sit, but I was always taught if you're standing, to stick to the right so people who choose to walk can get past.

[Quacks]

An old friend of mine wouldn't share her candy floss with our other friends once just because they walked down the escalator. 😂

[Skycaptain]

Depends on whether I'm in a hurry, what mood I'm in, etc. Sometimes stand, sometimes walk. 

[Salmiakki]

Escalators give me anxiety, I hate being in such a small closed space where I can't get out any time I want to. I always walk when there is that option. 

[CajunAce]

Mostly stand because I'm lazy. If I'm bored, I'll try to go on the wrong direction escalator 😄

[Guest]

Stand, either way. I've hardly ever seen people walk on them, and consider it more than a bit rude.

[Raire]

If I have to use an escalator (I try to use stairs instead of them), I generally walk up but stand on the way down. 

 

The standing on the descent lets me hold on to the rail. When I was younger and just standing without holding on, someone pressed the emergency stop and most of the 'passengers' fell over, myself included. 

[NickyTannock]

I tend to stand.

[Jannelly]

I try to avoid them they make me nervous. If i have to use one i stand.

[Karst]

I always walk.  If there's no one in my way, I run.

I'm that person who runs up flights of stairs two at a time just because they can.

[Duke Memphis]

I like to walk backwards to stay in place.

[daveb]

It depends. Usually I'm not in a hurry so I usually stand. If it's wide enough for 2 I stay to the right so people who are walking can get by. Especially in public transit places I assume people may be trying to make a connection so I don't mind if they walk and try to let them through. And sometimes if I have had a long travel day I may walk even at my final destination just to get there quicker and be done with traveling (or to get to a restroom or a place to sit down). 

[Gloomy]

Usually I walk but if there's someone in front of me I don't mind standing instead of trying to get past them.

[Larkaloke]

Stand. It annoys me when people walk up and down them. There are almost always stairs next to them, which if you want to walk you can use. Almost nobody's legitimately in such a raging hurry they have to walk up and down escalators.

 

Of course, I don't really like escalators in general and will take the stairs by preference unless I have so much luggage that I don't want to use the stairs, and I'm always concerned about tripping on the escalator or getting something somehow stuck in it.

[everywhere and nowhere]

I sometimes walk up (but quite slowly, because escalator steps are too high to be comfortable for me). I never walk down, I'm afraid to lose my balance.*

However, mathematically speaking the "rechts stehen, links gehen" rule is not really efficient. In rush hours, standing people will typically be packed much more tightly on the escalator than walking people. So if everyone stood, all people would on average get to the top faster.

 

*Maybe with one exception... There is a tiny shopping centre close to me. And the escalator has been broken for at least 10 months so far... It's next to the metro station, so it's most convenient to just use the station's elevator to move between levels 0 and -1, but sometimes I go inside at the top level and end up walking down the escalator because the only other option would be wasting about 100 m to get to the station.

[Gentle Giant]

Getting on escalators make me a little nervous. I stay put once I get on. I don’t try to walk up or down them.

[Sage Raven Domino]

10 hours ago, iff said:

for example if eople are standing in front of you, you can't walk up as it is impossible

I ask them to move to the right, and they almost always oblige, except for hopeless jams at rush hours when standing in the left row becomes the norm.

[Sweet Potato]

Stand. no escalators in my town, or any nearby city so if I am using an escalator, I also have a suitcase. 
also, if you want to walk, use the stairs.

[Goonie]

it depends on how big of a hurry I am in. Normally I just stand

[daveb]

I have been in some places that only have escalators and elevators. No stairs. Like a local shop here.

[Grumpy Alien]

Just now, daveb said:

I have been in some places that only have escalators and elevators. No stairs. Like a local shop here.

I know lots of places that have that.

[Jinkx]

It depends on my mood and energy. Oftentimes I will do both—walk halfway up/down, then stand the rest of the way. If people are standing in front me, I only stand.

 

The only places I use escalators are places with only escalators. The nearest mall to me has all escalators and one elevator, so there's no choice to take the stairs.

[Celyn: The Lutening]

Always walk. Sometimes even run. I'm very impatient and I walk super quickly everywhere. I'd run everywhere if I didn't have athsma.

GOTTA GO FAST!

[timewarp]

Walk. GET OUT OF MY WAY!!

 

One of the nicer things about London is that people stand on the right only and if they don't they get moaned at so much that they adapt quickly.

[Guest]

This captures my thoughts on escalators to a T:

 

[MollyDMA]

You either run or don't move until the last second, no inbetween

[daveb]

I have actually seen yellow tape across the front of escalators with signs saying things like "out of service" or "closed for maintenance".