Escalator: which side do you stand?
As I’m trying to introduce a mindful approach to life, I started to notice peculiar things in certain parts of my day. The commute from NJ to Manhattan is one unique piece of my week that allows me to occasionally observe human behavior towards unexpected issues. This has led me to write this post about people and their relationships with escalators.
Whenever I leave the bus terminal in Port Authority, I have to go down the moving stairs to catch the subway to NYU. One thing that caught my attention was that whenever I was standing in the left side, people would excuse themselves and ask permission to pass. This didn’t happen if I was in the right side. Sometimes, when I stand in one of those escalators that only fits one person per step, people also ask me to step aside (How if it only fits one person???) and let them pass.
This felt strange, because in Brazil, or at least in Rio, people tend to respect the rhythm and sizes of escalators. If it fits one person, then one person it is. If it fits two people and you are with someone, this someone stands beside you. If you are alone, you can stay in the middle and have more space. No stranger will be beside you.
I have always associated the ride on escalators with enjoyment. It is that time when you stop everything you are doing and wait. It’s the time when you can hug the person that is with you or engage in a 30-second conversation looking at her eyes. It’s the time when you stop and look around, think about which better way to go, or simply stop to take a deep breath and relax the body.
Then what is the deal with the left side of the escalator in New York City? Busyness I believe is the answer. The city concentrates a huge population of busy people and some of them, probably the ones that ask me to move to the right side of the escalator, tend to be egocentric and believe that their rush is more important than anything else. Therefore, they tend to not respect everybody else’s time, including the escalator’s, because they simply can’t wait… What 30 seconds?? And, at least in Port Authority, there is a stair beside the escalator. If you want to move, use the stairs (but it is always empty!)
I know sometimes we are very late for an appointment and it’s tempting to walk the moving stairs instead of letting go. It is also tempting to make the elevator go faster (maybe that’s why some people keep pressing the button during the whole ride), or honk in a huge traffic jam day as if because you are doing that all the cars will move in accordance to your needs. The thing with the escalator is that you can ask the person in front of you in the left side to step aside and let you pass. In this case, you can move faster than the machine.
I decided to approach this busyness issue in a different way. Whenever I’m busy, I welcome an escalator on my way. Because the pace of the machine is slower than my own pace, it helps my breath go back to normal and my body tension is reduced.
Yea, that’s right, all of that in 30 seconds. It is not that much of a difference, but it’s good to stop a little bit and realize that you are going faster than you should, you are stressed and need at least a slight pause (not to mention it is kind of rude to ask people to move, since they are in their right to stay where they are).
Anyway, if you are reading this and have the habit of walking on the escalator instead of letting it flow, maybe you should reconsider the pace of your life and enjoy the delightful moment of being in the moving stairs. Or not… but at least, consider being more polite than an angry face and a cold excuse me.
Since apparently I have to choose a side, I decide for the right one. Which is yours?
