Escalators and how not to use them

[sportsmom]

A small aside to this thread (though it does fit...)

We were at a Target in Boca Raton (I think it was actually in Deerfield Beach, but close enough). Anyhow, it was a 2-story Target. Nifty. They had a cart escalator. Neatest thing EVER. You push the cart through the doors and a little track thing comes through and grabs the front of it and it's like on a wedge so it stays level, then you take the escalator next to the cart. There are plexiglass panels to keep idiots from trying to reach into the carts while it's on the escalator, and employees watch to make sure no whack-job leaves their kid in the cart.

We went up and down a few times with it. We were thoroughly amused.

Both IKEA stores in Chicago have them. The first time I saw it I was also amused since I had never seen one before.


**Wanders off to go look at her new IKEA catlog and plan her next trip to Chicago.**

[One-Fang]

Most of the newer ones here now are what Bliss described. Essentially a slope. Your cart is equipped with special wheel brakes so it can't actually move while on the 'travelator'. One local mall has had staff stationed at the two travelator upper ends for about a year, to pull carts off. Must've had some people not able to push theirs off and some problems. Doesn't seem to happen elsewhere.

What does happen though, is kids thinking it's cool to stand beside the escalators, reach up, and 'ride' the side of it up, dangling off it. Naturally, this often ends badly. Now they're putting plastic bars on the framework that'll knock you off if you're trying this crap.

One guy told me he saw a girl 'straddle' the side of the escalator (the handrail) and ride it up. She fell off right at the top. Stupid kid.

[Crosshair]

I have to admit, the nearest escalator where I live is about 90 miles away in the next big city. No escalators anywhere where I live. I think there are less than 10 in the whole state.

[JustaCashier]

Thanks for posting the pic, Crawley.

I had never seen, nor heard of a cart escalator until I read this thread, so was going to Google an image to see what one looked like, but you saved me the trouble!

[repsac]

OH! I was wondering what you were describing. That's called a furnicular. It's actually a way they also use to move railroad cars up inclines. Neat to see them in use that way also.

Myself, the only thing I have to say about escalators, is I try to avoid them.

Having managed to do a face plant because I forgot to step off the end...distracted by the very cute girl a few steps before me, I've learned that mechanical objects and I, do not mix.

[JustaCashier]

I used to ride escalators frequently when I worked Downtown in the parking biz, and would wander through Department Stores, or multi-level malls on my lunch break. I would always allow at least two steps between me and the person ahead, especially if the person was old. My biggest pet peeve was people that would stand on the escalator landing, or barely off it, deciding which way they wanted to go (usually the old ones). Many times I had visions of being an unwilling participant in a demonstration of the Domino Theory.

Another escalator related story: Many years ago when my friends' daughter was little, they had to coax her to get on an escalator one time, because they had recently watched a Simpsons episode with an Itchy and Scratchy Cartoon where Scratchy gets skinned by being caught in an escalator.

[Crawley]

For the folks (like me) who have never seen a cart escalator...

[BusBus]

The Ikea by my place has a similar moving sidewalk for their carts. The last thing you'd want to do is lose your cart full of Ikea things down a slope to the parking lot.

Anyways, when I was in a mall once with my sister. We went on an up-escalator, sister first. As we are approaching the top, my sister suddenly jumps up and tries to keep from moving forward. Turns out the lady in front of her brought her pram on the escalator and it got stuck. With a little maneuvering and pushing, the three of us got it unstuck. But geez, not smrt.

[Seanette]

A small aside to this thread (though it does fit...)

We were at a Target in Boca Raton (I think it was actually in Deerfield Beach, but close enough). Anyhow, it was a 2-story Target. Nifty. They had a cart escalator. Neatest thing EVER. You push the cart through the doors and a little track thing comes through and grabs the front of it and it's like on a wedge so it stays level, then you take the escalator next to the cart. There are plexiglass panels to keep idiots from trying to reach into the carts while it's on the escalator, and employees watch to make sure no whack-job leaves their kid in the cart.

We went up and down a few times with it. We were thoroughly amused.

One of the WalMarts here in Sacramento has this feature. I like it myself.

My husband managed to jam it once. (sigh)

[rdp78]

I think I've seen a few people using strollers on those things and yeah I was like when I saw them but nothing happen. I don't think I have seen anyone use a cart on them but maybe years ago.

Anyway when my family went to Hanes Mall (Winston-Salem, NC)this past Saturday and when we got there there was crowd of people at the up escalator near one of the mall entrances (it's the one below across the food court). We figure someone fell and it was elderly lady on the floor so figure out it was her. There was a elevator nearby so we took that and as we were going up we found from one the mall security folk (or EMT person) what happen. From what I understand she must have slipped trying to get on it.

I tell you I hate using them I really do and I try to avoid unless I have to use them (I much prefer using stairs). If I have to use one I usually take my time getting on them and off as well. Anyway when I was little I was afaird of using them and refuse to go on them until well, I don't even know how I old I stop being afaird of them. I don't even know when that phobia started but it had to be oh, I don't know maybe five (my parents would remember) but I think it was before I started elementary but maybe when I started. I also think this has to be a common phobia among little kids because one time when I was at a local dept. store I saw a young mother trying to get her little boy to go on them and he was crying (I think) as they were going on the down one. I could tell he was afaird going on and boy did that remind of me when I was little.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

A small aside to this thread (though it does fit...)

We were at a Target in Boca Raton (I think it was actually in Deerfield Beach, but close enough). Anyhow, it was a 2-story Target. Nifty. They had a cart escalator. Neatest thing EVER. You push the cart through the doors and a little track thing comes through and grabs the front of it and it's like on a wedge so it stays level, then you take the escalator next to the cart. There are plexiglass panels to keep idiots from trying to reach into the carts while it's on the escalator, and employees watch to make sure no whack-job leaves their kid in the cart.

We went up and down a few times with it. We were thoroughly amused.

There's one like that in downtown Minneapolis as well.

It's pretty neat.

Of course, people might get used to those things and then assume a regular escalator works just like that.

[Bliss]

A local commerce has a cart-friendly "escalator" basically imagine a flat escalator, it's like the moving walkways you guys have in some of your airports, but the moving belt is made of metal and it joins two levels like an escalator... basically the carts have special wheels, instead of a full wheel it has two metal circles, with a non-moving rubber axis in the middle, when you put it in the escalator the circles fall into the belt's holes makign the rubber rub against the rises, securing the cart.

[Reyneth]

A small aside to this thread (though it does fit...)

We were at a Target in Boca Raton (I think it was actually in Deerfield Beach, but close enough). Anyhow, it was a 2-story Target. Nifty. They had a cart escalator. Neatest thing EVER. You push the cart through the doors and a little track thing comes through and grabs the front of it and it's like on a wedge so it stays level, then you take the escalator next to the cart. There are plexiglass panels to keep idiots from trying to reach into the carts while it's on the escalator, and employees watch to make sure no whack-job leaves their kid in the cart.

We went up and down a few times with it. We were thoroughly amused.

A Target by me (Cleveland, OH) has one of those too - it took me a 2nd trip to the store to figure out how it worked, and to actually use it. But wouldn't you know - there's a sign, warning customers not to leave children in the cart while using the escalator. So in all likelyhood, someone HAS in the past!

[BunnyJas]

How the heck- oh nevermind. Just when I thought people couldn't get any dumber.....

[thegiraffe]

A small aside to this thread (though it does fit...)

We were at a Target in Boca Raton (I think it was actually in Deerfield Beach, but close enough). Anyhow, it was a 2-story Target. Nifty. They had a cart escalator. Neatest thing EVER. You push the cart through the doors and a little track thing comes through and grabs the front of it and it's like on a wedge so it stays level, then you take the escalator next to the cart. There are plexiglass panels to keep idiots from trying to reach into the carts while it's on the escalator, and employees watch to make sure no whack-job leaves their kid in the cart.

We went up and down a few times with it. We were thoroughly amused.