One person's top ten pet peeves about the DC Metro.

6. Escalator Rule Ignorants - Repeat after me.....Left, Walkie, Rightie, Standie. Very simple. Stay on the side you want, but follow the rules.

Comments

[Kerry]

People are INSANE about this. I thought I was standing to the right when some lady comes bounding up the escalator screaming 'STAND RIGHT WALK LEFT!' and pelted me across the face with her briefcase. Hey lady, here's my pet peeve...be on time to where you're going so you don't have to mow down innocents.

[Dave S.]

Too many tourists in DC, or "tourons" as we called them, for this rule to stick.

[Ted]

In London, they have signs encouraging this basic common-sense courtesy. Washington DC refuses to have signs, because they're worried about liability if they have any policy other than the official one of "no walking on the escalator"--and their escalators move at two thirds the speed of London's.

[JorgXMcKie]

I wonder if he is a considerate of others as he expects them to be of him?

[Mace]

Dennis Miller did the same riff on freeway lanes a number of years ago.

[Johnny Debacle]

"In London, they have signs encouraging this basic common-sense courtesy. Washington DC refuses to have signs, because they're worried about liability if they have any policy other than the official one of "no walking on the escalator"--and their escalators move at two thirds the speed of London's."

They also have a button every 10 feet for an emergency stop. There are lots of things I love about London having lived there, I like that the Tube stops always give indications of when the next train will come, I like the general goodness Londoners have about queuing and such. But tehy are a culture of fear and paranoia wrapped in obedience. They could go police state fascism easily. I think the less government initiative which is taken even in small matters like this, the better off and freer the public will be.