Is it reasonable to "Stand to the right" on the escalator?

Passengers stand on the right side in turn, leaving the left side for those in a hurry - this is a common scene on Beijing subway escalators, and is considered by many members of the public to be the epitome of civilization. However, recently, Guangzhou Metro and Shenzhen Metro have successively issued appeals, believing that "walking on the left and standing on the right" has potential safety hazards, and "stand firm and support" should be promoted. At the height of summer travel, how should we take the elevator in a civilized and orderly manner? The author conducted interviews on related issues.

There is nothing wrong with courtesy

It was the first time for Yang Huan, a citizen of Hangzhou, to travel to Beijing. When she stood on the subway escalator with her suitcase, someone behind her said, " Please give way." He walked quickly past her. "I was a little embarrassed when I first encountered it, but I was carrying a big box and it was really inconvenient to stand on the right side of the crowd." She observed carefully and found that many passengers on the subway are accustomed to standing on the right side. "I'm shocked that everyone can consciously abide by the rules, but I searched online and found that there may be safety risks. I'm still a little confused about whether this phenomenon should be promoted."

Ms. Zhi, a citizen of Beijing, had the same feeling. doubt. "Beijing has been promoting 'walk left and stand right' for more than ten years. People have gradually developed civilized habits and provided convenience for people in a hurry. However, I have also seen some reports pointing out safety problems. Orderliness How to balance it with safety, I think we need to tell everyone," Ms. Zhi said.

The escalator etiquette of "Stand on the right and pass on the left" was first proposed in the United Kingdom to facilitate passengers in a hurry. This concept was promoted domestically during the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, and has gradually become a generally accepted civilized behavior in major cities. Over the years, the public in many places has subconsciously developed this habit of consciously being civilized and courteous.

“When I first came here, I often forgot to stand on the right side. Every time I found that I was standing on the wrong side, I was a little embarrassed and worried that I would be considered to be of low quality.” Now, Xiao Xie, who is studying in Beijing, has developed The habit of "walking left and standing right". "Sometimes I encounter platform congestion, but if I'm not in a hurry, I still choose to stand on the right in line."

Compared with shopping malls and other places, the phenomenon of "walking left and standing right" is more common on subway escalators. common. At present, the Beijing Subway reminds passengers by broadcasting "Please hold on to the handrails, do not lean on the elevator, pay attention to safety under your feet, and ride the elevator in a civilized manner". Some escalators have slogans on both sides of "Stand firm and hold on", and some escalators still have "Please "Stay right" sign.

Safety is more important

In May this year, the Shenzhen Metro Operations Headquarters stated that Shenzhen no longer advocates "walking on the left and standing on the right", but instead prioritizes safety, calling on passengers to "stand firm" Support it." Previously, Shanghai stopped promoting this concept in 2012 and removed the stickers advocating this concept and changed it to "hold the handrails tightly". In 2016, Nanjing Metro publicly appealed to citizens to "stand firm and steady." In April this year, Guangzhou Metro also made it clear through its official WeChat public account that it hopes passengers should hold the handrails and stand firm and not walk on the escalators.

The reasons for such a change are: First, standing on the right for a long time will cause greater wear and tear on the right side of the elevator, which will cause excessive fatigue impact on some parts of the escalator and shorten the life of the equipment; second, the height of the escalator steps It is higher than the requirements for stairs in public places. It is easy to miss or trip when walking, causing safety accidents.

The security personnel at Beijing Dongzhimen Subway Station told the author that the transfer station is very crowded when there is a large flow of people, and there is no space for everyone to stand on the right. Therefore, passengers are generally encouraged to stand on both sides of the escalator or take the stairs directly. "Occasionally, people fall while running on the escalator. There are many people and there are passengers behind them blocking them. If there are few people and there are many things to carry, they are likely to fall if they don't hold themselves steady while running. Previously, a passenger dropped everything. It’s broken, but luckily everyone is fine.”

It is understood that as an early subway city in Hong Kong, there are only elevators and no stairs in the subway. In order to leave passages for pedestrians in a hurry and in special circumstances, “ Walk left and stand right." Since 2010, Hong Kong has used radio broadcasts and slogans to promote the concept of "hold the handrail and stand still" (hold the handrail firmly and stand still). In Toronto, Canada, hundreds of "walk left, stand right" signs have been removed. Japanese subways have launched a "grab the handrail" campaign, but many passengers are still accustomed to standing on one side of the elevator to give way.

In interviews, the author also found that many members of the public still recognize the behavioral norm of "walking on the left and standing on the right" and are worried about the discontinuation of this etiquette. "Everyone has finally developed such a good habit. A sudden cancellation will not only make many people uncomfortable, but may also affect the maintenance of other civilized behaviors.

"Xiao Xie said.

Order is in the heart

Should we "walk left and stand right"? Industry insiders said that on the one hand, "walking left and standing right" is very important for orderly riding of stairs. It plays a certain role. On the other hand, compared with "standing on both sides" which limits the flow of passengers entering the station during peak periods, passengers constantly walking in the elevator on one side may increase the burden of entering and exiting the station.

In terms of traffic efficiency, the left aisle vacated by "Standing to the right" does not make passengers much faster. For example, it takes 29 seconds to go up the escalator at Exit H of Dongzhimen Subway Station, and you can walk quickly on the escalator. It takes about 10 seconds, which is only about 3 seconds faster than walking up the stairs.

Some experts pointed out that some escalators have a steep slope, so you must hold on to the handrails if there are too many people or in an emergency. If you choose to take the stairs, passengers with large luggage can choose the helicopter. People should pay attention to etiquette when traveling, be modest in waiting in line, and avoid rushing around to give each other more convenience.

Process Engineering Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Hao Jiangping, a senior engineer at the institute, believes that from a technical perspective, the hidden dangers caused by uneven load-bearing can be solved. “The structural design or the materials of local components can be adjusted to improve load balancing or extend the life of the components, and at the same time, it can be determined based on actual use conditions. With a system of regular maintenance and condition-based inspections, higher standards can be adopted for equipment in poor operating conditions. "The author recently learned from the Beijing Metro Operation Co., Ltd. that relevant departments have increased the frequency of inspections and conducted regular maintenance on escalators to ensure their safe operation.

"Stand to the right" is a civilized behavior, but many Whether or not to stand on the right does not mean the quality of the public. Hao Jiangping said that the economic conditions of some areas cannot meet the purchase and installation of escalators with higher standards and quality requirements, or the operation and maintenance capabilities cannot meet the higher standards. It is required that if the escalator is old or its reliability has declined due to condition monitoring, and it cannot be replaced or upgraded, there will be obvious safety risks in implementing "Stand on the Right". He suggested that signs should be set up in areas where it is possible to "Stand on the left and stand on the right". And remind passengers of possible accidents. There is no need to insist on uniformity. Different prompts can be used depending on the time and location to keep the order in mind.

From People's Daily Online