On 27/07/2013 02:23, CJB wrote:
On Thursday, 25 July 2013 11:02:41 UTC+1, wrote:
Why is it that you can have everyone on an escalator standing on the right

yet there's always one muppet tourist standing on the left who doesn't

seem to clock that fact? Where do these people leave their brains when they

visit London?
--
Spud

At Heathrow its amusing to see passengers just arrived from a flight take the escalators down to the tube platforms. They usually stand all over the place, balancing luggage on the steps, chatting, and obviously wondering where to go when they get off.

Contrast this with passengers arriving from London, likely heading for Departures. Then they all stand on the right, with their luggage neatly arranged in front of them, so as not to block the left hand side. They've been well trained by irate commuters in the rush-hour!!

But the REALLY irritating ones are the tourists and commuters who are texting or doing Facebook or Twitter or something whilst on the escalators and then when they get to the end they step off and simply stop to finish what they were sending. Meanwhile others are piling up behind them not able to get off because their exit is effectively blocked. Actually this is quite dangerous. If I get caught behind one of these idiots the only real solution is to push them out of the way with some strongly chosen words aimed in their direction.

CJB.




I just use the lifts.

On Thu, 25 Jul 2013 10:02:41 +0000 (UTC),
d wrote:

Why is it that you can have everyone on an escalator standing on the right
yet there's always one muppet tourist standing on the left who doesn't
seem to clock that fact? Where do these people leave their brains when they
visit London?

Funnily enough, the Beeb has just published a feature on this topic:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23444086

Paul Corfield wrote:
On Mon, 29 Jul 2013 13:45:05 +0100, Recliner
wrote:

On Thu, 25 Jul 2013 10:02:41 +0000 (UTC),
d wrote:

Why is it that you can have everyone on an escalator standing on the right
yet there's always one muppet tourist standing on the left who doesn't
seem to clock that fact? Where do these people leave their brains when they
visit London?

Funnily enough, the Beeb has just published a feature on this topic:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23444086

Not that funny - "journalists" have long picked up on usenet issues to
turn them into stories. Some groups have even managed to create false
stories which were then published nationally despite them being a
complete hoax. Things like twitter and facebook have just expanded
the range of sources. Plenty of press and PR offices also read these
sources to see what's being said by whom.

It is also interesting to note that the "1980s tube photos" are now
gaining rather more prominence.

Yes, I did wonder about that, but this particular BBC feature seems to have
been written by a US-based reporter, based on US news reports. It also
looks like it's based on some background research that probably started
before this thread. So, in this case at least, it may just be a
coincidence, but I'm sure you're correct about other stories.

Brian Watson wrote:
wrote in message
...
IME most people respond to a polite "please stand on the right"
request.

I say "excuse me, please" while my body language conveys that I am intending
to pass on the left.

My version: "Welcome to name-of-city, please stand on the right side!"

d wrote:
Why is it that you can have everyone on an escalator standing on the right
[...]

Not a Brit, so I have been wondering: How come you drive cars on the
left side, but then on the sidewalk you (usually) take the right side,
and also the right side on escalators?

Why not consistently left side everywhere?

Sampo Smolander wrote:
d wrote:
Why is it that you can have everyone on an escalator standing on the right
[...]

Not a Brit, so I have been wondering: How come you drive cars on the
left side, but then on the sidewalk you (usually) take the right side,
and also the right side on escalators?

Why not consistently left side everywhere?

Boats pass on the right in Britain, as elsewhere. On pavements (sidewalks)
there seems to be no consistent pattern in Britain. Perhaps escalators,
which came here from the US, follow American precedent?

Sampo Smolander wrote:

Not a Brit, so I have been wondering: How come you drive cars on the
left side, but then on the sidewalk you (usually) take the right side,
and also the right side on escalators?

Why not consistently left side everywhere?

You stand on the right (walk on the left) on the escalator. No rule for
pavements (sidewalks) nor any convention as such. The only opposite one is
that you would walk on the right on a country lane without a pavement, but
that's so you can see the oncoming traffic that's about to kill you rather
than it sneaking up on you from behind.

I have also noticed an annoying tendency for people to cycle on the right
on the MK Redways. I have no idea why. Only theory I have had is that
some could be from other countries where driving is on the right, and
because there is no flow of traffic to remind you which side to be on you
revert to what you're used to. No idea if that's actually true but it
seems viable.

Neil
--
Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK. Put first name before the at to reply.

On Tue, 30 Jul 2013 14:54:57 -0500
Recliner wrote:
Sampo Smolander wrote:
d wrote:
Why is it that you can have everyone on an escalator standing on the right
[...]

Not a Brit, so I have been wondering: How come you drive cars on the
left side, but then on the sidewalk you (usually) take the right side,
and also the right side on escalators?

Why not consistently left side everywhere?

Boats pass on the right in Britain, as elsewhere. On pavements (sidewalks)
there seems to be no consistent pattern in Britain. Perhaps escalators,
which came here from the US, follow American precedent?

I'll hazard a guess that its simply that most people prefer to hold onto the
handrail with their right hands which requires standing on the right.

As for driving on the left - the romans "drove" on the left and most countries
up until napoleon came along did too. Then he changed it to the right, can't
remember the reason, and the USA decided to follow the french simply because it
wasn't british.

Personally I prefer left hand drive cars and would like us in the UK
to drive on the right but financially and from an infrastructure point of
view, changing over would be a complete non starter.

--
Spud

On 2013\07\30 20:54, Recliner wrote:
Sampo Smolander wrote:
d wrote:
Why is it that you can have everyone on an escalator standing on the right
[...]

Not a Brit, so I have been wondering: How come you drive cars on the
left side, but then on the sidewalk you (usually) take the right side,
and also the right side on escalators?

Why not consistently left side everywhere?

Boats pass on the right in Britain, as elsewhere. On pavements (sidewalks)
there seems to be no consistent pattern in Britain. Perhaps escalators,
which came here from the US, follow American precedent?

Much of the London Underground was controlled by American(s) in its
early days, and LU still follows certain practices which were copied
from America in that era, such as calling carriages "cars".

" writes:

On 27/07/2013 02:23, CJB wrote:
On Thursday, 25 July 2013 11:02:41 UTC+1, wrote:
Why is it that you can have everyone on an escalator standing on the right

yet there's always one muppet tourist standing on the left who doesn't

seem to clock that fact? Where do these people leave their brains when they

visit London?
Not just London, there are stand on the right signs on the escalators at
Birmingham New Street station, and yes they get ignored too.