What's the point of escalator grooves? @JulianOShea #Science #Shorts

What's the point of escalator grooves? @JulianOShea #Science

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[comradepeter]

That mop fitting perfectly between the grooves was so satisfying.

[stonefreak]

And in addition to all that, the grooves provide a good amount of grip too, compared to a flat or almost flat pice of metal.

[seaslugs]

"Have you ever wondered why escalators aren't flat?"
"No, but I'm listening..."

[ColdCreekB]

I’m not scared of escalators, I’m scared of lack of escalator maintenance.

[claudiau]

When I was a kid I was wearing pants that were a little too long and they got caught at the top of an escalator. So yes, the grooves prevent most things from getting stuck where the step meets the top but not everything! Be careful out there!

[SilentEvil]

The shoe laces falling on the side of the escalator and getting stuck was a fear I never had and now I wont be able to forget it. thank you :)

[Felipemelazzi]

But those brushes are *perfect* to clean beach sand!

[Angi_Mathochist]

Escalators are still not particularly safe. There are more accidents than you'd think. I got my skirt caught in one once. Fortunately the escalator stopped and I wasn't dragged into the works or anything (as has actually happened in a few cases). The skirt didn't come off because it had a drawstring rather than elastic waist. When the workmen were unable to fix it immediately, I did untie the skirt and step out of it, as I didn't feel able to stand there for long. Fortunately I had a long sleeved button-up shirt I was able to tie around my waist, which gave me some coverage while I went back to my room for another skirt (also fortunately, I was at a hotel at a science fiction convention, so my room was in the building, and also being oddly or partially dressed didn't really stand out much in that environment).

It was a shall inconvenience and slight embarrassment in my case. I got my skirt back later. But it sure made me aware that escalators can be dangerous! I've since learned that they can be especially dangerous to dogs, and of course to small children. Never let kids play on them. And avoid going on one with loose clothing. Tuck in / pull close anything loose as best you can, and watch the edges, especially where the steps meet the wall.

[FrostySlave]

You don’t have to listen to me, but I used to be an actual elevator mechanic (I was in maintenance in Otis and Schindler) and I can tell you that even with those grooves, they are still EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, you might think I am exaggerating, but I’m not. Elevators have safety equipment, such as not closing the door of something is stuck in them, and possibly shutting down (according to situation). They have buttons to call for help, and even though you are in a shaft way hundreds of feet in the air, you are in a safe little box, where you can play games on your phone until I (the elevator mechanic gets pinged on that button) get you out. Also, contrary to Hollywood movies, you will fall UP if the elevator breaks (most of them fall up, depends on the counterweight). In my 25 years of work, I never heard of a single person dying in an elevator (I work in ATLANTA!) However, escalators have no safety equipment. If you somehow get your fingers/leg caught in the escalator, it’s not stopping. You will keep on going until that limb gets severed by that very same wedge at the top of the stairs. I have heard of the deaths on them before. The ONLY thing stopping you from getting serious injury is if someone notices your stuck (in the 10 seconds before you get to the end, sometimes sooner, depends on model) and presses the Emergency button at the bottom or top of the escalator. If they don’t, goodbye whatever limb is caught. So yeah, don’t be fooled.

[tinkerbellfairylove]

My Dad was an escalator engineer for London underground in the early 60's, I think of him every time I use them 😊

[andrewrobotbuilder]

And they're not just metal either. St Anna's tunnel in Antwerp is one of the last functional wooden escalators in the world - works just like the metal ones but the slats are much larger, similar to standing on a wooden park bench. Went this year and it was pretty interesting to see, especially since it's almost all visibly made of wood

[Couldbedumber]

“Preventing anything from getting caught”
My shoelaces: “Bonjour”

[hkrhkr]

1977 my grandpa lost his big toe in a escalator at Stratford square mall in Bloomingdale IL

[plutoyoon]

i have a very vivid memory of when i was about 8 or 9 there was a show on tv, i was watching forensic files and it was like that, played on the same channel and had a similar narrator, and it was a story about a women who fell on an escalator and her hair got caught in the escalator and it scalped her. it had very graphic video to go along with it, i imagine some real and some acted out. but i never EVER forgot. i’ve never been able to find the episode if it was forensic files, or the exact show if it wasn’t, or the exact story about it, but it traumatized me so much that i am terrified of escalators. i even had a night light that would rotate between the colors of the rainbow but i had to stop using it because everytime the light went red all i could see was that lady with her scalp peeling off. 😭

[kastro]

One thing I noticed in a big supermarket is that some shopping carts are designed with wheels that make contact with the ground only with two outer discs, and the middle of the wheel is further inside and made of soft rubber. So when you take one on the flat escalator, the discs fall into the ridges and the shorter rubber part is the one making contact and stopping the cart from rolling down

[revenge]

for flat escalators (the one that allows shopping cart) the wheels lock on the surface allowing the shopping cart to not slide down as well

[Joe___R]

They have their purpose, but that doesn't negate the fact that those ridges tear you up if you ever happen to fall on an esculator.

[solarcupid]

People always act like I'm insane for being scared of escalators, but I'm so glad seeing comments of people validating my fears and agreeing with me. I'm an adult now, and I still have my legs lock up and have to clutch someone's hand when forced to go on one

[geoffreyclark]

I worked at a bi-level Starbucks in a mall. Wed have to mix some drink bases upstairs then bring them downstairs. Im talking gallons and gallons of yhe stuff. We were forbidden from using escalators to move them but new hires didn't know that. One of the weirdest things I've ever seen is a sudden frappuccino waterfall where moments before there was an escalator.

[Desi-qwfc]

On moving floors (i.e. escalators that don’t turn into stairs), the grooves trap the wheels of shopping trolleys to stop them from running away downhill. The groove combs at the end kick the wheels back out at the end of the journey.