Escalator etiquette

Standing on the left in Japan (except Kansai region^[1])

Escalator etiquette is the etiquette of using escalators.^[2]

Left or right

The first escalators installed in the London Underground at Earl's Court station used the design patented by Charles Seeberger. These did not let the passengers dismount in the direction of travel, as currently. Instead, a diagonal partition shunted them off to one side while the stairs disappeared under the partition. The side chosen for disembarkation was the left hand side and this is the origin of their convention that riders should stand on the right, so that the walking riders would not have to cut into a standing line of people to exit.^[3]

In certain countries, for instance Australia, Japan, and New Zealand, riders stand on the left and walk on the right, following the road rules.

Gallery

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  Leave an open step

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  Crocs in Finsbury

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  Palmovka station in Prague

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  Singapore

References

Citations

Sources

• Geoghegan, Tom (28 July 2013), Escalator etiquette: The dos and don'ts, BBC News 
• Malvern, Jack (21 October 2009), "Mystery over Tube escalator etiquette cleared up by restored film", The Times 
• Taylor, Adam (26 August 2015), "A Japanese campaign wants to rewrite the global rules of escalator etiquette", Washington Post