Can you imagine a Dutch person in the big aple New York, standing on an escalator? New York is the city that never sleeps and is always moving. A Dutch person using an escalator will be moved over, the first second he or she will take a step on it. The same goes for Tokyo, Paris, London and other big countries in the western world, where time is scarce.
People in the Netherlands just don’t understand the use of escalators. They stand still on it, even on the left side! If you want to stand still, please do it on the right side, so that other people, can pass you. This is one of my biggest irritations when I am at the train station, in a shopping mall, metro station or any other place where ever is an escalator. In every other country in the world people use escalators for what they are made for; moving faster.
There once was an experiment in the Netherlands, to help the Dutch understand using the escalator. It was held at a big train station. They put up signs, that if you want to stand still please use the right side and put up arrows on the left side in the hope that people would understand that this is the side were they have to move furhter. It just didn’t work!
I don’t know if it is the Dutch mentality or whatever, but it kinda irritates me that most of the Dutch just don’t get the use of escalators. So to all the dutch escalator users: please stand still on the left side and leave the right side for those who do understand the purpose of escalators and who want to pass you!
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Dear Anouk,
ReplyDeleteYou're so right about this problem. I still come across it every day at the train station. Though I must say that especially travellers in Brabant find it very difficult to choose which side is the right side. In Utrecht things have become less of a problem.
I'll send the rest of my comment by mail.
Regards,
Jannie
Hey Anouk!
ReplyDeleteYou are so right about this problem! When I was in NY a couple of weeks ago i experienced the same problem. There the escalators are separated into two parts; on the right part you can stand still, on the left part you have to keep moving. If you don't you can really expect some angry Americans coming after you!
Roxanne