Why You Should Absolutely NOT Walk on an Escalator

There are some situations when you don't have the time (or patience) to take a long, slow ride on an escalator.

There are few things more frustrating than being crammed on some moving steps while your plane is boarding at a gate on the opposite end of an airport. That frustration reaches new heights when everyone is standing still on the escalator.

What do you do? Do you walk past the idle passengers leaving them in the dust or do you patiently wait like everyone else?

How Walking On Escalator Affects Others

Walking on an escalator actually has a negative effect on the entire flow of people even if you are getting to your destination at a quicker pace.

PBS.org cited a London-based study based on a test that prohibited subway escalator passengers from walking as why you should always stand on the moving steps.

"No walking was allowed on the crammed escalator, which allowed more people to move through the station in the same amount of time as before," the report states. "A highly efficient escalator is one that has the most output – that is, carries the most people to the destination."

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Some facilities have recently started banning escalator walking. A discussion on Reddit regarding Major League Baseball ballparks was flooded with comments from people who were told not to walk on the escalators at Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers.

"There is an attendant at the bottom and top of every escalator and you're trapped," Reddit user lolwaokay commented.

Escalator Safety Tips You Probably Don't Know

Otis, a company that installs and maintains escalators, has released a list of safety guidelines that indicate when it is OK to pass others.

If you are riding an escalator, Otis says you should stand in the center of the step and face forward. No walking, just standing.

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It is perfectly acceptable, however, to zoom past other passengers while riding on a moving walkway without steps.

"On moving walkways, stationary passengers should stay to the right and let those walking pass on the left," Otis said.