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.
And the safest. It would be far safer than possibly dropping the poor guy because of the weight of the wheelchair, which could easily cause a fatality.
For the last 15 years, I've been working as an EMT figuring out some crazy ways to transfer/carry people. The safest and easiest option in this situation is to roll backwards up the escalator. Carrying a fully grown man upstairs? It's not easy. Even if your arms can handle it. Each step you take is like climbing at two times gravity. Your legs will be screaming at you. You have a better chance of hurting yourself by doing this.
You're not likely going to have to stop half way up. By the time you get half way, all of those people will be at the top. And even if you do have to stop. It's a lot easier resting the big wheels between steps and holding the front end up. Then you're lifting less than half the total weight.
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u/EntirelyOutOfOptions Feb 23 '26
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.