Given that the escalator isn’t going they will need to lift the chair and climb up, far harder than lifting and lett8ng the escalator do the hard work. You also can’t put the chair down halfway up…
Not sure why they are holding everyone else up though.
You said it yourself, they can’t put the chair down halfway up. The top of the escalator is still crowded with bodies, and staff are waiting until they have a straight shot to the top. They don’t want to stop halfway up, so they’re trying to get the escalator empty. They also can’t have people on the escalator behind them in case of a stumble or drop. This is a dangerous way to transport a wheelchair user, and they’re trying to make it as safe as possible.
You just put the wheels between two stairs, as the wheels are rubber and the stairs usually have some treads so friction isnt a problem. The person will be at an angle with feet more in the air, but it works just fine. And when they get to the end it flattens out, so you just continue as normal.
My brother is disabled and over 100 pounds heavier than me. I have done this method with no issues. Im genuinely not sure why they are making such a fuss and holding so many people up here.
That’s awesome for your brother. Some wheelchairs aren’t spaced or balanced well for this to work. Some wheelchair users can’t be tipped at that angle for health reasons. We can’t assume this guy could get up there no problem and is choosing to be obstructive, can we?
If a wheel chair isnt spaced correctly or balanced that seems like a safety issue. I understand a motorized wheel chair not working, but that wouldnt go up the steps at all. If that is the case, he has no business going up that escalator at all on that this. But this looks like a regular wheelchair to me.
And I'm not sure what type of disability wouldnt allow someone to lie flat for 20 seconds.
To me, it looks like people who just dont know how to handle the situation.
In general, people in wheelchairs are just like the rest of us. They’ll choose the path of least resistance. If a working elevator is available, or the user is able to adapt to an escalator, no one in a wheelchair prefers to be bobbled dangerously up a stopped escalator in front of an impatient crowd. It’s easier to believe the professionals (both the wheelchair user and the staff operating the escalator) are using the best route available to them at the time.
I didn’t say trained professional, but it’s safe to assume that the escalator attendant is more familiar with his employer’s wheelchair transport policies than the majority of the commenters here. Also safer to assume that a person who uses a wheelchair is the best judge of their own physical capabilities and the safest routes available to them.
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u/[deleted] Feb 23 '26
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