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Tokyo Wants People To Stand on Both Sides of the Escalator (citylab.com)
When one side isn't reserved for walkers, it saves time for everyone. But transit users around the world just can't be convinced. Linda Poon, writing for CityLab: I'm one of those people who speed past everyone on the escalator. As long as the left side isn't blocked, no amount of judgement from fellow riders to the right, or safety warnings, or even falls (two and counting) will stop me -- not yet anyway. I'm certainly not alone; it's a common enough habit that some cities occasionally try to change such behavior for safety's sake. London's tried, so has Hong Kong and Washington, D.C. Now it's Tokyo's turn. East Japan Railway Company (JR East) launched a campaign this month calling on riders to stand on both sides of the escalators inside some of the city's busiest transit hubs.
Signs are posted on walls and above escalators, reading, in both Japanese and English, "Walking on escalators may lead to accidents caused by collisions or luggage." Bright pink handrails carry similar messages. And in some stations, security staff with neon-colored vests stand watch and guide people. If people are really in a hurry, JR East suggests, they should take the stairs. So far, the effort has had mixed results: According to the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK), railway officials say that some people did stop but many commuters were still hustling up and down the escalator on Monday. The campaign is set to run until February 1.
Signs are posted on walls and above escalators, reading, in both Japanese and English, "Walking on escalators may lead to accidents caused by collisions or luggage." Bright pink handrails carry similar messages. And in some stations, security staff with neon-colored vests stand watch and guide people. If people are really in a hurry, JR East suggests, they should take the stairs. So far, the effort has had mixed results: According to the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK), railway officials say that some people did stop but many commuters were still hustling up and down the escalator on Monday. The campaign is set to run until February 1.
If everyone walks up the escalator throughput doubles. It works fantastic in Washington DC during rush hours when no amerifat tourist bastards muck up the show.
"When one side isn't reserved for walkers, it saves time for everyone."
This is an absurd claim that doesn't pass the most basic smell test.
If everyone is a stander, then the latency for everyone is fixed once they are on the device.
Think of it as Net Neutrality for escalators.. ;) No preferential treatment for the walking packets over the riding ones.
"File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
I'm 6'4", 360 lbs, former defensive lineman...you want to try to sprint past me on some 24" wide escalator, you go right ahead and try...but if you try to shove me, slam me, or crank your bag into my leg to get past because you can't wait the 4 minutes to get to the top, that may not work out well for you.
-Styopa