“Don’t walk along escalators!” Thats the warning signs that have been placed in 32 stations in Yokohama.
The Transportation Bureau of the Yokohama has decided to discourage users from walking up the escalators due to the numerous complaints and accidents that had occurred.
Similarly, Nagoya had also imposed a ban on walking along escalators at Nagoya Municipal Subway stations since July 2004. The city has put up warning signs and made announcements on trains, but people still walk on escalators.
Of course, people are irritated at this ban, because it has always been a customary practice to make room on the right side of the escalator for people in a hurry.
Interestingly there are some differences in the Kanto and Kansai region. Passengers in the Kanto region customarily stand on the left to make room on the right-hand side of the escalator for others to walk up, while in the Kansai region, the practice is the opposite.
I think its impossible to actually imposed a ban on walking along the escalators, especially during peak hours. Its the same in Singapore, our government has been encouraging people to stick to the left and make room on the right. This allows people in a hurry to catch the train to walk or run up the escalators. I really hate it when I know the train is reaching the station and the stupid couple or family is blocking my way up the escalator.
So how about you? Do you usually walk along the escalator as well?
I always walk on escalators….just because it’s moving doesn’t mean we have to sit there. @_@ what silly rule!
England, it is stick to the right and walk on the left…If I have time and there is less people, I go on the opposing escalator though… that was an awful choice at a station called Angel though, as it took almost 10 minutes to make it up to the top of an escalator so long that someone has skied down it =S
Accidents? Because people aren’t coordinated and stumble, or because not EVERYONE follows the courtesy stand-here-walk-here rule and aggravated collisions occur?
But I agree; that’s not going to work. Will violators be ticketed? And if that causes people to miss trains they were already late for, well the ticketers may need to start wearing armor.
In America, it’s stand-on-right, walk-on-left … similar to driving on the highway where the left lane is considered the passing lane. But only for metro- or train-related escalators. An escalator in a shopping mall doesn’t have this rule, simply because people aren’t aware of it or the need for one.
I always slide down the escalator like Jackie Chan.
i always stand there and stone. LOL
It will never get enforced.
Slightly off topic but wow, that uniform’s skirt is super short. I did a double (or triple or quadruple) take whether she was wearing anything underneath or not.
@Totali: haha that really made sense, now I think its a stupid rule too
@Deranged: whats an opposing escalator?
@Crisu: I guess theres no need to rush in a shopping mall unless there’s like a mega sale or something, then women will be pushing people off escalators =P
@tjhan: wow, I’d love to see you do that
@zenical: good way to conserve energy or are you always a stoner?
@sorael: wouldn’t it be nice if every female wore skirts that short