I like it when my friends post about their thoughts, musings, observations and pet peeves. Invariably, it overlaps or uncovers my own peeves.
Chuck recently logged such a post on a variety on subjects, and touched upon one of my recurring peeves. The subject is “riding on escalators.”
When we talk about using an escalator, we refer to it as “riding.” I think this is an enabling bit of language. It enables all the lazy mallrats of the world to park their asses on one end of the escalator and not lift their feet until they shuffle off the other end. This is one of those instances where I have a view that appears to be completely out of synch with the entire world, and just being in the minority does not convince me that I’m wrong.
When I see an escalator, I see powered stairs. “Yay!” I think to myself. “I can get upstairs that much faster.” However, if I set foot on an escalator I am invariably behind a few people who prevent me from using my legs. They don’t mean to block my way intentionally, they simply do not seem to imagine that anyone would want to walk up the escalator and therefore don’t stand to one side to allow people to pass.
It’s hard not to notice this and not make some connection to the general bloatification of the American populace. People not in motion tend to stay not in motion.
Dear reader, I can’t really claim that you have made a conscious decision not to lift a finger when it comes to getting up the escalator — I believe that you stand there automatically because that’s what the rest of the herd does. Malls have no interest in encouraging you to climb those stairs. Why, you might get tired and decide to go home if you used your legs too much.
So, it’s a social thing, and there is little motivation to change. Perhaps I should feel I’m doing some good by example if I say “excuse me” 30 times and work my way past all these standing people. It seems strange. I imagine the people will think to themselves “Where is he going in such a hurry? Can’t he wait his turn like everyone else?” They’d be missing the point entirely, which may negate my attempt to teach by example.
What would you do if you needed to get to the other end of a hallway and people were simply standing there, not moving? You’d excuse yourself and move through them (or find another way). But we don’t do that on the escalator because we know we’ll make it there eventually. So, why annoy all those people?
The answer is clear. You annoy them because they’re treating the escalator like a ride, being lazy and giving in to the herd mentality. I don’t care to force you as an individual to move your butt up the escalator. Perhaps you had a long day and are exhausted. That’s fine. But if you’re going to use the escalator as a respite (odd place to do it, but “whatever”) why not move over to one side and let other people by?
The bottom line is this. By asking to get by, I am not forcing my idea of what an escalator is on you. However, by preventing me from going by, you are forcing your idea of what an escalator is on me. I’ve had enough of the herd forcing this on me, and I’m sick of falling into the patterns that are going to enlist me into the ranks of the fat, sickly, middle-aged steer. But damned if I know how to let people understand why I am climbing the escalator.
America, when I push past you it’s for the good of all of us. I’m not trying to get the last cheeseburger in the food court before you get there. In fact, they’ll make as many as you can eat. And if you’re really lucky, by the time you get there they will have invented a machine that chews the cheeseburger for you, so you don’t have to bother!
We evolved as animals who had to exert ourselves all the time to survive. That’s what we’re built for, and part of that keeps us healthy. Desk jobs, cars, elevators — all these things conspire to take away the activities which keep our bodies running smoothly. Do we need to give in on this escalator thing, too?
Posted by James at February 10, 2005 1:01 PMIt's even worse in some airports that have the moving walkway. People are often rushing to catch flights and you get behind someone with a gigantic suitcase who is just standing there taking up all space. We used to have to switch planes in Minn/St Paul a few times on family trips and all the wings in that airport have the moving walkways because it is so long. But we would try to move quickly to get to our connecting flight, and some people would be so inconsiderate. And they would treat us as the inconsiderate ones for wanting to get by. You'd think people would be more considerate in an airport situation.
Posted by: Sara at February 10, 2005 3:09 PMRight. And the thing is even called a "Moving Walkway" nor a "Moving Standway." You're supposed to be walking on those. And I seem to remember that people did walk on those, years ago, or they had a convention for standing to one side to allow people by.
However, the zombification marches on, apparently.
Let's keep moving, people! If you want to stop and smell the roses, find a rose garden. Or, at the very least, don't stand between me and my rose garden.
In the most general case, I have little patience for anyone who is driving or walking and doesn't seem intent and dedicated to actually getting somewhere.
Posted by: James at February 10, 2005 3:28 PMHmm...
Can't speak for malls as I try to avoid the whenever possible but I know on the T escalators in Boston most people use the pass on the left convention where if your going to just stand there you move far enough to the right to let the average size person pass you on the left. If your to big to get by you're probebly not interested in climbing stairs anyway.
Due to my height I'm already a two steps at a time kind of stair climber as it is (people at work have learned to get out of the way) so standers on escalators bug me as well.
Posted by: B.O.B.(bob) at February 10, 2005 4:11 PMPeople on the T probably want to spend as little time there as possible. So that often makes it a good environment for people who don't like to hang around.
People are a lot more lively there than at the mall. I've actually picked up my children and dashed through the T station without problem. At rush hour, this can get difficult but peopel are still not lollygagging.
Posted by: James at February 10, 2005 4:23 PMThey have the moving walkways at the Orlando and Atlanta airports. For the most part, people who don't want to walk do stay to the right, mostly because signs and recorded announcements tell them to.
Posted by: Julie at February 10, 2005 5:25 PMSpeaking as a daily T rider, I can testify that there is an unspoken rule that slow traffic should move to the right to allow for passing on the left, just like when driving.
Some don't get it, though, and this has been the subject of at least two colorful "Oh, Cruel World!" rants in the Weekly Dig.
These are always worth a read. This week's is particularly good (Bob, as it deals with the whole "I-own-this-piece-of-public-street-because-I-shoveled-it" mentality, you'll like it).
Weekly Dig: www.weeklydig.com
Oh, Cruel World! is in News + Opinions