Forbid walking up and down escalators in Taiwan? A Japanese prefecture just did this

Saitama officially forbids walking up and down escalators - Japan Today

I think it’s good idea! Plan your time so you do things in a safe and relaxing manner.

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Stand on the right, walk on the left. Everybody wins. This is one of the things I like about Taiwan. In the US people will cluelessly stand on both sides and block traffic. I’m convinced these are the same people who drive slowly in the left lane on the highway.

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Not exactly. If it’s busy, then one “lane” walking means everybody loses - it slows the whole thing down. Better for all to stand on both sides.

But yes, if the escalator is mostly empty and two people are blocking others by standing abreast, that’s annoying.

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No, it slows the whole thing down when it’s clogged with people not moving. Let the people who choose to move, move, and the people who choose to stand (or need to stand), stand. One side moving is better than neither side moving.

By the way, I say this as someone who chooses to stand 90% of the time. It doesn’t bother me if others are moving while I’m standing, and I sure do appreciate being able to move on those rare occasions when I am in a hurry.

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In the US people don’t put strollers with their kids in them on the escalator. In Taiwan they do even though signs say not to and it’s obvious why you shouldn’t. I’m convinced these are the same people who were dropped on their heads as kids.

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Untrue, as that New York Times article and many others out there explain. In crowded situations, if everyone stands, then the flow onto and off the escalator speeds up, and that lessens crowds. There’s lots of pieces out there like the New York Times article; also a discussion on forumosa a few years ago.

Why does it matter if you can get on the escalator more quickly if you can’t move once you’re on it?

When I’m choosing to stand it means I’m not in a hurry and don’t care if it takes me longer to get on and off the escalator. When I’m choosing to walk it means I’m in a hurry and need that left side to move. The current system allows for both, and is far superior to the standing-on-both-sides thing in major American cities. I lived with both, and greatly prefer the Taiwan version.

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Not for people with toddlers or handicapped. They should use elevators?

No! Some people are slow as shit and it’s annoying when you’re in a rush to meet someone. This would make those human traffic jams even worse. The current system of stand on right, walk up/down on left isn’t perfect and ignored by some, but it’s much better than this.

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People do it a lot here too, especially when they’re talking to a friend or off in their own world.

no, as the article I sited says.

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The implication of that article is not that standing two abreast is more efficient, but that people are so bloody lazy they can’t even be bothered to take an assisted hike up the left-hand side.

I often take the stairs because the escalators are clogged with a-mas on both sides. It’s quicker. At least Taipei metro does have stairs, and most stations are fairly close to surface level.

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Or stand if they need to stand.

I see it occasionally here, but in the US it’s the norm, and the OP appears to be advocating for it to also be the norm here.

Besides the highway analogy, I also compare it to moving sidewalks at the airport. Slow on the right, fast on the left.

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You are asking people to think for themselves in something as complex as taking an escalator ?:wink:

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Is it ok standing ipn the left to hold the bar by left hand?

Wot?

Tf?

The research saying no walking is faster is only for times when there are so many people there is an actual line waiting to get on the escalator. Think MRT during New Years after the 101 show.

When there is a line, it is faster for everyone if nobody walks and they fill each step. More people on and off.

But, of course, there usually are no lines here every day, so walking is faster.

The other point is lining up only on one side causes uneven wear on the machine.

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