City
The Monster that is the TTC Escalator
When I was a toddler, I had an irrational fear of getting pulled in by the toothed gap of the escalator as I reached the top. Always attentively, I made sure to step well over that gap as I got off. It's a good thing I overcame my fears and quickly graduated to expert level escalator rider before I reached the age when I could ride the subway. That's where most of us learned of the "walk left, stand right" mantra and the black and white signs at the base of the escalator always served as a reminder.
But the TTC is adopting a new policy that's going to force us old dogs to learn new tricks.
According to the CBC, our transit commission had all of the "walk left, stand right" traffic flow signs on escalators removed from all escalators. Why? Because a safety assessment deemed the behaviour to be unsafe, and clearly the TTC can't be officially condoning unsafe behaviour. Apparently the monster that is the TTC escalator was responsible for the hospitalization of 50 people last year alone.
While they don't expect the sign removal to have a major impact on rider habits, they do plan to reinforce this new anti-walking policy this fall. Don't you feel safer already? I wonder if they'll run audio announcements in the name of public safety: "Step right or step left. Plant both feet firmly on the step. Hold the handrail, and wait patiently to be carried along."
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Returning home today on the TTC, I strode up the stairs to my awaiting subway, spawning like salmon against the steady flow of people making their way down the stairs. One such man blurted out to me, "Why are you walking up the stairs when there's an elevator there?"
I think this new policy is showing how shortsighted the TTC is. They really ought to install wider stairwells if they hope to try eliminating people walking on escalators. Or else they ought to expect more injuries on the stairs this year.
"Why are you walking up the stairs when there's an escalator there?"
So, then, the TTC installed and maintains 294 escalators for the exclusive use of riders who are '[in]capable of walking'? Gee, they've put a much greater emphasis on acessibility than they're given credit for. I just wonder what these non-walkers do when they get to the top of the escalator?
Next time you see a suspicious lady rolling around the top of an escalator like a FIFA cup faker, report her! Take out your camera phone, shoot her and any accomplices and email it in to TTC headquarters.
Chances are that she is about to take the transit system for a bundle. And in turn keep fares high.