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15 June 2007

So long as we're talking about politeness and civility: Walk Left, Stand Right
This messed me up big time in Japan, where they stand left, walk right.

Except in Osaka and Kyoto for some reason...
posted by spec80 15 June | 16:18
Yes indeedy, and walk to the right on crowded streets so there can be two lanes of foot traffic in opposite directions.
posted by Miko 15 June | 16:25
Yes indeedy, and walk to the right on crowded streets so there can be two lanes of foot traffic in opposite directions.
posted by Miko 15 June | 16:28
This is a HUGE pet peeve of mine (when people don't do it) because I ride up and won a three-story escalator in the train station going to and from work. They're very narrow, so one idiot standing in the way blocks the whole thing up.
posted by BoringPostcards 15 June | 16:32
I've noticed that in Washington DC people are pretty insistent that you follow the protocol, "step aside, out-of-towner!"
posted by StickyCarpet 15 June | 16:37
On the London Underground escalators you stand right and walk left. Standing on the left is liable to get you shoved out of the way with some force, especially in the rush hour.
posted by essexjan 15 June | 16:49
In Sweden, I saw an old lady shove a tourist to the right side of an up escalator (or was it left? I don't remember). Everyone there keeps a lane clear for people who are moving quickly. They'll even queue up at the bottom to get on the "standing" side. In the US, it's all willy nilly.
posted by muddgirl 15 June | 17:09
Metro had some signs posted about this. I don't know if they're still up (don't ride the subway often enough) but now would be the right time of year for them.
posted by hoppytoad 15 June | 17:54
Sticky carpet: when I lived in DeeCee, I had a friend who used to stand at the bottom of clogged Metro escalators and shriek "WALK left stand RIGHT!" and then mutter "morons". Now that I live in Chicago, I just force my way past saying, excuse me, excuse me, excuse, trying to catch a train/plane.
posted by crush-onastick 15 June | 18:14
I had a friend who used to yell, "more walk, less talk!" behind the people clogging up the escalator. I always say it under my breath with a little sigh, but never at full strength.

What baffles me even more than clogging up the escalator while it's moving, though, are the geniuses who get off and then come to a dead STOP, as if everyone else will just be able to flow around them like water or something. Those people always get a loud "keep moving!" from me, ever since I saw an elderly lady trip quite badly because a trio of buggy-sunglass-wearing Beverly Hills matrons couldn't be bothered to move their asses out of the way when they got off.
posted by scody 15 June | 18:27
Yes, I know this one. Because I lived in DC. And I even found it civil for people to yell it while trying to walk up. It was educational.

I can't bring myself to yell it in other situations where I wish people knew it, though. Like airports. When you are TRYING to CATCH a PLANE. Maybe TSA trainees can stand at the foot of elevators and moving sidewalks and yell it. I'd write a letter to TSA, but I don't want to go up on a list.
posted by rainbaby 15 June | 20:58
I could not quite bring myself to post this to MetaTalk, || AskMeCha:

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