Escalator Safety with Luggage

http://www.wptv.com/news/local-news/investigations/watch-your-step-at-pbia-airport-ranks-among-top-fl-airports-for-escalator-injuries

 

Apparently Palm Beach International Airport has more escalator accidents than any other south Florida airport. The tips in this story are great. I've seen way too many passengers try to juggle too much luggage on an escalator. At the end of our last cruise, Princess had a rep at the top of escalator to direct people who did not have a free hand for the handrail to ride the elevator instead.

Edited September 25, 2014 by geoherb

At the end of our last cruise, Princess had a rep at the top of escalator to direct people who did not have a free hand for the handrail to ride the elevator instead.

 

I weep for humanity when I read such things.

A long time ago, I was coming down an escalator at some British airport tube or train station. The woman with the small pull-along in front of me for some reason could not get her bag off the escalator, and there were lots of people coming down. I had to go give her bag a big, swift kick.

I watched the news report in the link. Nobody in the security cam footage seemed to be holding the escalator rail when they fell. Most were holding two pieces of luggage or a coat or purse with the other hand. Even the bimbo reporter in the red dress stood backwards on the escalator in one clip and wasn't holding the handrail in another. I tend to not hold the rail either but always have a completely free hand just in case.

 

PBI layout is unusual. Departing passengers go down a floor from ticketing to the gates, and arriving passengers also go down a floor from the gate to baggage claim. Compared to most airports, PBI presumably has double the number of floor changes per passenger so the expected accident rate should be double. (I wonder what the stats really are)?

 

If escalators are located close to gates there may also be a higher number of arriving passengers texting or phoning with luggage on the escalator.

 

Good safety reminder, though.

Edited September 25, 2014 by kenish

I would guess one of the issues at that airport is that it has a higher than usual number of elderly people riding the escalators.

I would guess one of the issues at that airport is that it has a higher than usual number of elderly people riding the escalators.

 

This. You need to go up and/or down escalators at EWR to get to ticketing, the gates, and bag claim which are all on different levels, so they have the same issue without the accidents.

With more than one bag I prefer use lifts not escalators

Not safe orherwise

 

 

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Nothing wrong with PBI -- their are 6 Elevators right next to that ONE escalator.

Edited September 27, 2014 by PaulMCO

Nothing wrong with PBI -- their are 6 Elevators right next to that ONE escalator.

 

Yup.

 

At MCO the elevators to the tunnel (parking garage) are almost always faster than the escalators.

I'm glad to see this thread. When we were boarding the Ruby Princess on 9/8 there was a group of five seniors pulling their carry ons a few people ahead of us. They didn't seem like they knew what they were doing, and when it came time to get off the escalator one of them either tripped or mis-stepped which caused a pile up. The woman in front of us was on the floor screaming, and I had to leap over the pile to avoid falling on her.

 

This first group had no business getting on the escalator when there was an elevator right next to it. A little further up the same woman who caused the pile up tripped and nearly fell again. Right after the pile up DH heard her ask someone if she caused it so she was aware of what she did.

 

DH and I are seniors, and we look for elevators when we have luggage to drag behind us because we don't want to creat a hazard moving slowly.

My pet peeve is the people that stop dead at the top or bottom of an escalator

My pet peeve is the people that stop dead at the top or bottom of an escalator

Shouting at them is a good way to get them moving again. Inducing a bit of adrenaline can be very effective. Never mind if anyone thinks it's rude; it's better than people getting hurt.

My pet peeve is the people that stop dead at the top or bottom of an escalator

 

Little thread creep, how about people standing directly in front of the elevator door and are surprised someone is getting off and they have to move out of the way?