Stand left, walk right.
That’s how all of us have been taught to ride the escalator. It’s been considered an unspoken rule in escalator etiquette… until now.
Apparently, experts in China are saying the practice is obsolete and can even be dangerous to public safety!
Elevator experts in Chin have warned the practice represents a danger to public safety. That’s because of the uneven wear to escalators caused by so many people standing on the right side (left side for Malaysia), which increases the chances of breakdowns.
Plus, a lot of escalators are not meant to be walked on, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
The officials have a point because escalators in China, especially subway ones, are mostly unidirectional
Zhang Lexiang, general secretary of the China Elevator Association (which also covers escalators and moving walkways), noted that although subway entrances in Western countries often have multiple escalators that can alternate between up and down duty, in Chinese subway stops there is generally only one – that goes up.
While it’s understandable to forgo the “stand left, walk right” in China, we should probably stick back to it to so we don’t get side-eyed or called out in public for being an @$$
Courtesy always pays!