Neo-laziness

By: James Burge

I never really understood the laziness when it comes to escalators, I get that people are lazy and don’t want to walk up stairs, but my bewilderment grows when it comes to down escalators.  The only reason I can see for not walking down an escalator would be if I was holding something or accompanying a child or someone with reduced mobility.  So it amazes me in the rush-rush world we live in that people will still stand (usually with a somewhat vacant stare) and wait for an escalator to deliver them to the floor below.

 

So the other day when I was coming back from grabbing lunch and I was in a bit of a hurry to get back (to be honest I always walk fairly fast paced), out of courtesy, I allowed a guy decked out in spandex, looking ready for a marathon to go in front of me.  To my amazement, he stopped and waited on the escalator (which was empty, except for the one person at the bottom about to step off). A guy who was obviously on his way for a walk/run at lunch couldn’t be bothered to walk the 8-12 steps it usually takes to traverse a typical escalator.

 

Are we so caught up in our daily lives that even walking from place to place becomes habitual (hence the vacant stare) or are we so used to the assistance we receive in the form  automation that we can’t be bothered to do things for ourselves???

 

Another great example is automatic doors. It never ceases to amaze me how long people will wait for an automatic door to open.  I’ve even seen situations where there is a bit of a lineup waiting for the automatic door.  This is most notable at C-train stations, when everyone gets to the doors at the end of the platform and stops, waiting for the one of five doors that opens by itself. You can usually find me pushing (somewhat unceremoniously) to the front to open a door for myself (and hold it for those behind who couldn’t be bothered).