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I've been riding the metro-rail everyday in the morning and afternoon from dadeland mall to brickell. I have noticed that when people use the stairs or the esclator they don't stay to the right. Generally, if your on an escalator and you are not taking steps up-or-down then you stay to the right. Everyday I observe at least half or more people on the escalator that stay to the left or center. Now, this doesn't really bother me, but I'm wondering why? Is it that in latin america(from what i've seen 90% of people on the train are from, including african descent english speaking caribbean peoples) they don't practice this concept in their home countries?
One time, at the Dadeland North station I was ascending the stairs and a mass of people were coming down from the platform above. I had started up before the mass had started to descend so I couldn't wait for eveyone to go by on the ground floor. As i got closer to the group, I stayed to the right while they all came down. As we converged, about 2 or three people made a huge deal that I was walking up. They were of course all the way to my side and made no effort to move(I observe this everywhere else in Miami) Stopping and turning and just staring at me, with hands in the air. I was confused and nothing more.
Anyway, why don't people on the metro-rail understand you stay to the right on the escalator? Thanks
I don't know how wide the Metro-Rail escalator is, but the ones that I usually see are pretty narrow. If I feel the need to walk on an escalator, I'll take the stairs instead. As far as the stairs, it's common sense to move over if someone is coming from the opposite direction. We know that many people don't have common sense though. It always blows me away when people drive all the way behind me when I'm on a traffic stop before they realize that they have to change lanes. I guess that the lights that could be seen a mile away arent bright enough.
I've been riding the metro-rail everyday in the morning and afternoon from dadeland mall to brickell. I have noticed that when people use the stairs or the esclator they don't stay to the right. Generally, if your on an escalator and you are not taking steps up-or-down then you stay to the right. Everyday I observe at least half or more people on the escalator that stay to the left or center. Now, this doesn't really bother me, but I'm wondering why? Is it that in latin america(from what i've seen 90% of people on the train are from, including african descent english speaking caribbean peoples) they don't practice this concept in their home countries?
One time, at the Dadeland North station I was ascending the stairs and a mass of people were coming down from the platform above. I had started up before the mass had started to descend so I couldn't wait for eveyone to go by on the ground floor. As i got closer to the group, I stayed to the right while they all came down. As we converged, about 2 or three people made a huge deal that I was walking up. They were of course all the way to my side and made no effort to move(I observe this everywhere else in Miami) Stopping and turning and just staring at me, with hands in the air. I was confused and nothing more.
Anyway, why don't people on the metro-rail understand you stay to the right on the escalator? Thanks
Way too narrow, if I'm taking the escalator I don't feel like some person passing me. If they want to go faster they can run up the stairs or ask me to move aside, if not I'm gonna stand right in the middle with my hands on both rails.
I had no idea there was a "escalator" etiquette! If I am in that much of a hurry I just use the stairs.What does being from latin America have to do with it also?
I had no idea there was a "escalator" etiquette! If I am in that much of a hurry I just use the stairs.What does being from latin America have to do with it also?
MiamiRob ... don't think the OP intended any harm .. but as one who does travel into Latin America and the English speaking Caribbean on business ... there are little nuances that are not practiced in these regions and that are routine to most Americans such as standing to the right and passing on the left .. it is not just "escalator etiquette " .. I have many times in Sao Paulo , Brazil almost been trampled trying to get out of an elevator ... when I fly in Latin America or the Caribbean .. I have seen locals eschew seat belts , allow their kids to run free around the plane while in flight , I have seen people get up and take things out of the overhead compartments while the plane is still taxing on the runway .. I have noticed that some Caribbean peoples most notably Jamaicans and Bahamians can be real "pushy " ... etc , etc .... I think it is a cultural thing and in the case of Latin Americans have noticed that although many being good people ... it is common to eschew many customs that we as Americans take for granted .... I have been to Asia a few times and it is actually worse there ... people will take the shirts off their backs to help you .... by try standing in a line and you will be trampled as everyone wants to be first or try walking in Beijing and people will simply cut you off , knock into you and not even acknowledge you ... again you take the good with the bad ... it is cultural .
i agree with OP .... i encountered this all the time while using metrorail in miami (or frankly in any scenario that included steps). For some reason locals don't seem to know (or care) about the common sense approach of "stay to the right". i always chalked it up to the fact that they just don't know how to commute. Even more incredible was the fact that nearly every day i would see someone who would step into a car on the metrorail (or metromover) and then just stand in the doorway (blocking access), looking to the left & right for a few seconds before they decided which of the plentiful empty seats they were going to sit in. OMG! in nyc you would be trampled if you tried to pull that sort of idiotic behavior. i used to always think i should call miami transit & offer to run a course on how to commute!
and while yes, the escalators in the stations are relatively narrow, there is usually enough room for a person to pass (if everyone would stay to the right)...it's like people who get on the moveable walkways in airports and plop their bags down & block everyone else..like it was some sort of scenic ride! this behavior is annoying on escalators, but completely inexcusable on the wide stairs.
but again, i always chalked this all up to the fact that miami is simply not a public transportation type of town.
Rock, I think you hit the nail on the head. I would add that Miami isn't a mass transit city and so many people don't know the etiquette rules. I remember being in NYC when my sister said to me, why are you walking on the left side of the sidewalk. I said to here, I don't know, I just am. She then explained the etiquette rules to me up there that everyone follows. Since so many people use the mass transit up there, most people know the rules. It is a cultural thing, but is also think it is a lack of knowing the rules. They probably don't realize there are property ways to walk down the stairs or the escalator.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rock Newman
MiamiRob ... don't think the OP intended any harm .. but as one who does travel into Latin America and the English speaking Caribbean on business ... there are little nuances that are not practiced in these regions and that are routine to most Americans such as standing to the right and passing on the left .. it is not just "escalator etiquette " .. I have many times in Sao Paulo , Brazil almost been trampled trying to get out of an elevator ... when I fly in Latin America or the Caribbean .. I have seen locals eschew seat belts , allow their kids to run free around the plane while in flight , I have seen people get up and take things out of the overhead compartments while the plane is still taxing on the runway .. I have noticed that some Caribbean peoples most notably Jamaicans and Bahamians can be real "pushy " ... etc , etc .... I think it is a cultural thing and in the case of Latin Americans have noticed that although many being good people ... it is common to eschew many customs that we as Americans take for granted .... I have been to Asia a few times and it is actually worse there ... people will take the shirts off their backs to help you .... by try standing in a line and you will be trampled as everyone wants to be first or try walking in Beijing and people will simply cut you off , knock into you and not even acknowledge you ... again you take the good with the bad ... it is cultural .
I would say it really happens all over. I've been trapped a number of times behind people on airport, gee, I can't think of the name right now. The flat escalators! They aren't thinking of anyone but themselves even though it clearly states on the signs before entering to stay to one side if not walking.
I never thought escalators were meant for just standing, though. I thought you're supposed to walk with it, even though most people don't.
I've been riding the metro-rail everyday in the morning and afternoon from dadeland mall to brickell. I have noticed that when people use the stairs or the esclator they don't stay to the right. Generally, if your on an escalator and you are not taking steps up-or-down then you stay to the right. Everyday I observe at least half or more people on the escalator that stay to the left or center. Now, this doesn't really bother me, but I'm wondering why? Is it that in latin america(from what i've seen 90% of people on the train are from, including african descent english speaking caribbean peoples) they don't practice this concept in their home countries?
One time, at the Dadeland North station I was ascending the stairs and a mass of people were coming down from the platform above. I had started up before the mass had started to descend so I couldn't wait for eveyone to go by on the ground floor. As i got closer to the group, I stayed to the right while they all came down. As we converged, about 2 or three people made a huge deal that I was walking up. They were of course all the way to my side and made no effort to move(I observe this everywhere else in Miami) Stopping and turning and just staring at me, with hands in the air. I was confused and nothing more.
Anyway, why don't people on the metro-rail understand you stay to the right on the escalator? Thanks
That's in New York and you are in Miami.
The Stairs are for the people who are in a hurry. The escalators are for people who can't take the stairs(older, children, disable) or people who are just tired or not in a hurry. They are not for people who left their homes 10 minutes too late, and just want to run over other people in a moving object. I find people who pass others on escalators pretty rude actually, especially when they are going super fast, like they are gonna miss their wedding, like they are so important.
I would say it really happens all over. I've been trapped a number of times behind people on airport, gee, I can't think of the name right now. The flat escalators! They aren't thinking of anyone but themselves even though it clearly states on the signs before entering to stay to one side if not walking.
I never thought escalators were meant for just standing, though. I thought you're supposed to walk with it, even though most people don't.
Agreed. Was just in DC yesterday, saw the same thing.
As long as we're on the subject of Metrorail etiquette...was on it once when a few people were getting up the stairs right as the doors started to close. They managed to get on, but the driver comes on and asks people to stop holding the doors as we needed to continue on. Anyway, one more lady manages to barely get on...and proceeds to start yelling at the guy standing closest to the door because he didn't stick his arm out to prevent the door from closing (door essentially closed on her). Was she just a b*tch or was the guy not practicing proper transit etiquette.
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