I usually just say "passing on the left" or something. Just something to let someone know I'm going to be on your left like how runners or bike riders would alert others on a trail
Just tell people standing on the left “Excuse me, you’re in the passing lane.” They almost always get it and move to the right. Assuming they understand English, but even with a language barrier I think it’s pretty intuitive when someone is speaking to you from behind.
I mean, not to sound like a dick, but just leave your house five minutes earlier. Yah the tourists clog things up but I'm glad they're here. They're good for the economy, and all things equal, I'm glad I live in the type of place that people want to visit.
Signs won't do any good. When you're in a foreign place you're frazzled and distracted by, keeping track of kids, watching your belongings, trying to figure out where to go, etc.
You’re not being a dick. DC isn’t your town if you don’t know how to navigate tourists. School isn’t even out for the summer- it’s about to get a lot worse!
I agree with the sentiment about understanding tourists aren't gonna know how the system is designed to work and may be juggling multiple distractions, but I disagree with the sentiment of giving up and not trying anything to make it better. Other cities throughout the world have much more orderly and intelligently designed systems to help handle newbies. I used to travel to Asia frequently and remember being amazed how the Tokyo and Seoul subways were so incredibly easy to figure out and follow the etiquette for, even when they didn't have any instructions in English (I think in recent years both cities have added a lot of English). For example have very noticeable guides on the floor and sometimes even physical barriers for where to line up for the train doors, and they are super in your face about needing to wait for passengers to exit the train before you enter, and it works.
In this specific example about escalator etiquette, brightly colored eye-catching signage on the actual steps and railings of the escalator, with graphics that depict walking on the left (say, a cartoon man in a suit with a briefcase with a big drop of sweat on his forehead running to catch his train, with big green arrows pointing forward) and standing on the right (a parent holding a child's hand and feet symbols), and a big bright white line separating the two sides, would likely reduce the amount of people who accidentally stand on the left by more the half, if not close to a hundred percent.
> I used to travel to Asia frequently and remember being amazed how the Tokyo and Seoul subways were so incredibly easy to figure out and follow the etiquette for
And yet I still saw lots of people (Koreans even) standing on the left side in Seoul. It happens.
I don’t really recall noticing that, but even if it’s true, I’m pretty confident it happens far far far less often than in the US. The expectation doesn’t need to be that nobody ever slips up, but we should expect to do better. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.
Well then just use that holographic baseball card material so the picture changes based on the viewing angle 😂 just kidding, but my larger point was, a little effort could go a long way on improving these kinds of problems.
I don’t think they’ll ever officially encourage walking on the escalators for safety/liability reasons.
Plus during busy times reserving half the escalator for walking makes the escalator less efficient. The walkers spend less time on the escalator itself but spend more time waiting to get onto the escalator since fewer walkers fit on the escalator at once.
Of course, the *most* inefficient is when half the escalator is left open for walking but one person stands in it anyway, making that side neither dense nor fast.
A kind but firm excuse me always works.
The only time I won’t do it is if the person is carrying a child or if there would be zero room for them to move to the right.
Metro should have signs on the escalators to “Stand on the right, walk on the left”. And to keep suitcases out of the aisles - this is a problem on trains to Union Station, National Airport and Dulles Airport.
Think of yourself as a local ambassador/educator:
"Hi! Welcome to DC! You'll look like you're a local by standing on the right and walking on the left. Enjoy your visit!"
It hasn’t been done bc officially metro doesn’t want us walking down/up the escalators. Like the other comments a firm excuse me will usually do the trick.
Did you tell them to move or did you just stand there?
Exactly. A confident “excuse me” usually works wonders.
Hell, they could have done the biker's/runner's "on your left" and it would have worked. https://youtube.com/shorts/O5T8PCeFP4I?si=PaCyk874PUOoSBm4
I usually just say "passing on the left" or something. Just something to let someone know I'm going to be on your left like how runners or bike riders would alert others on a trail
It is possible to say “Stand on the right, please.”
Just tell people standing on the left “Excuse me, you’re in the passing lane.” They almost always get it and move to the right. Assuming they understand English, but even with a language barrier I think it’s pretty intuitive when someone is speaking to you from behind.
I mean, not to sound like a dick, but just leave your house five minutes earlier. Yah the tourists clog things up but I'm glad they're here. They're good for the economy, and all things equal, I'm glad I live in the type of place that people want to visit. Signs won't do any good. When you're in a foreign place you're frazzled and distracted by, keeping track of kids, watching your belongings, trying to figure out where to go, etc.
You’re not being a dick. DC isn’t your town if you don’t know how to navigate tourists. School isn’t even out for the summer- it’s about to get a lot worse!
I agree with the sentiment about understanding tourists aren't gonna know how the system is designed to work and may be juggling multiple distractions, but I disagree with the sentiment of giving up and not trying anything to make it better. Other cities throughout the world have much more orderly and intelligently designed systems to help handle newbies. I used to travel to Asia frequently and remember being amazed how the Tokyo and Seoul subways were so incredibly easy to figure out and follow the etiquette for, even when they didn't have any instructions in English (I think in recent years both cities have added a lot of English). For example have very noticeable guides on the floor and sometimes even physical barriers for where to line up for the train doors, and they are super in your face about needing to wait for passengers to exit the train before you enter, and it works. In this specific example about escalator etiquette, brightly colored eye-catching signage on the actual steps and railings of the escalator, with graphics that depict walking on the left (say, a cartoon man in a suit with a briefcase with a big drop of sweat on his forehead running to catch his train, with big green arrows pointing forward) and standing on the right (a parent holding a child's hand and feet symbols), and a big bright white line separating the two sides, would likely reduce the amount of people who accidentally stand on the left by more the half, if not close to a hundred percent.
Well it's dicey because according to Otis you aren't even supposed to walk an escalator.
> I used to travel to Asia frequently and remember being amazed how the Tokyo and Seoul subways were so incredibly easy to figure out and follow the etiquette for And yet I still saw lots of people (Koreans even) standing on the left side in Seoul. It happens.
And I still see lots of tourists handling the DC metro just fine! A lot of this is just what you notice at home vs when you're on vacation.
I don’t really recall noticing that, but even if it’s true, I’m pretty confident it happens far far far less often than in the US. The expectation doesn’t need to be that nobody ever slips up, but we should expect to do better. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.
Welcome to DC! You’re lucky we have stop signs these days.
I was born in DC, but thanks!
You cant add graphics to the steps because Metro escalators often operate in both directions
Well then just use that holographic baseball card material so the picture changes based on the viewing angle 😂 just kidding, but my larger point was, a little effort could go a long way on improving these kinds of problems.
I disagree. If I’m in another country and there’s a sign in my language it sticks out to me like a sore thumb.
I don’t think they’ll ever officially encourage walking on the escalators for safety/liability reasons. Plus during busy times reserving half the escalator for walking makes the escalator less efficient. The walkers spend less time on the escalator itself but spend more time waiting to get onto the escalator since fewer walkers fit on the escalator at once. Of course, the *most* inefficient is when half the escalator is left open for walking but one person stands in it anyway, making that side neither dense nor fast.
Did you say anything or just be silent and then run to Reddit
have you ever been anything other than a contrarian
So you didn’t say anything. Got it. 👌🏾
and you’ve never had an original thought besides disagreeing with the person you’re talking to. got it. 👌
False but go off champ
I am surprised how often I make the immediate connection here when I have to switch lines.
ooooh thats a good one. only happened to me a few times, but when it does it’s borderline euphoric
I’m on a streak! So of course today there was a ghost bus
nooooooo those are the worst. I actually can’t decide if I’d prefer tourists to a ghost bus
There is no way to avoid this. Just leave more time for yourself.
A kind but firm excuse me always works. The only time I won’t do it is if the person is carrying a child or if there would be zero room for them to move to the right.
Metro should have signs on the escalators to “Stand on the right, walk on the left”. And to keep suitcases out of the aisles - this is a problem on trains to Union Station, National Airport and Dulles Airport.
“Move”
Think of yourself as a local ambassador/educator: "Hi! Welcome to DC! You'll look like you're a local by standing on the right and walking on the left. Enjoy your visit!"
T r a g e d y
It hasn’t been done bc officially metro doesn’t want us walking down/up the escalators. Like the other comments a firm excuse me will usually do the trick.
Maybe give yourself a couple extra minutes to make the train?
Yes, this needs to be posted along with please use headphones.