Pet Peeve: Shop escalators that only go up Blog Discussion

Former_MSE_Archna

This is the discussion link on the back of Martin's 'Pet Peeve: Shop escalators that only go up' blog. Please read the blog first, as the discussion follows it.

Read Martin's Pet Peeve: Shop escalators that only go up Blog

Ignatius_A

I agree that it would be better to provide both up and down escalators, and I think it's scandalous that stores are allowed to compromise accessability in this way (can't stores now be sued under disability discrimination for failing to provide full access?)

However, My wife suffers with hips that have been badly formed from birth (she's had 1 replacement and is awaiting a second - she's under 40)

She finds coming downstairs much easier than going upstairs, so an up-only escalator does make access to the upper floor(s) easier.

For those with more severe disabilities, some stores may be able to offer use of a staff-only lift - providing their insurance covers it.

Fran

Ignatius_A wrote: »

I agree that it would be better to provide both up and down escalators, and I think it's scandalous that stores are allowed to compromise accessability in this way (can't stores now be sued under disability discrimination for failing to provide full access?)

We should take a few people with mobility problems up the escalator on the same day and see how they deal with it! :cool:

beaker141

Enforce the point by either :

1 - running back down the up escalator and when challenged thank them for saving you a gym membership
2 - press the emergency stop button and walk back down it !

tomstickland

Down escalators are stupid though. I usually walk up the stairs anyway, though I do enjoy running up the downs if there are any.

Smiley_Mum

Our local Woolworths store has just the one escalator, up. Stairs to go down or a lift within the store to get back down but you have to hunt down a member of staff to do so. It's not so bad now both my children are out of buggies etc but it was a real pain to always have to check around for a free member of staff to go up in the lift and then back down when you needed to. A greater pain in the rear end too if one of the little ones needed the loo in a hurry and you couldn't find anyone to help with the lift as only members of staff are allowed to use the lift, not members of the public. The reason being that it's a goods lift also. Also, the kids section is upstairs, clothing, toys etc so a bit silly to not have two escalators in the store. They only recently had the whole store refurbished so you would have thought they'd have the sense to put in two escalators or at least a small lift that the public could access without having to search for a member of staff everytime you needed downstairs.

Marks and Spencer have two escalators, Zara and Primark too. W H Smith have only got stairs access from what I can see so not very good either.

Hippychick

I second the peeve, I suffer from arthritis and really struggle with stairs, if there is no lift or escalator I don't shop there.

Arcadia group see to be the major culprits in this, Burtons, Top Shop etc they are all the same

Smiley_Mum

Hippychick wrote: »

I second the peeve, I suffer from arthritis and really struggle with stairs, if there is no lift or escalator I don't shop there.

Arcadia group see to be the major culprits in this, Burtons, Top Shop etc they are all the same

I noticed too, Top Shop, Burtons etc too, only stairs. Isn't the guy from Dragon's Den to do with Arcadia Group.

dleafe

Trying to navigate some stores with a pushchair is a complete nightmare.
No wonder more and more of us are turning to internet shopping.

Stephen_Leak

You have obviously never been in an old department store in Bristol called Fairfax House. It was a classic 1960's multi-story building, but very long and very thin, because it was sandwiched between two existing streets at different levels. To make it worse, one floor was actually divided into two halves by the entrance to a multi-story car park - you had to drive through Fairfax House and over one of the streets to get to it.

Therefore, there wasn't actually enough space for a proper set of up and down escalators, and what few individual ones they could fit in were scattered around the store and only between adjacent floors. The lifts weren't much better either - originally they were the open-fronted ones that didn't stop, so the modern replacement ones were even smaller.

The place was easy to get into, but a nightmare to get out of. There were stories about people being unable to find their way out at closing times.

It was left empty for quite a long time before it was eventually demolished, and everyone reckoned they did this to make absolutely sure that no-one was still in it!

Petmidget

The point that annoys me most in this, and I being single male in 30's avoid shops like the plague is this:

Mainly 3/4 storey malls are the culprits, they have escalators both up and down however the end of one is at the opposite side to the start of the next.

I realise that pychologically this is meant to make us look at more by walking round the stairwell but after 3 floors it is rather tedious. That is when I hunt out a flight of stairs.

I hate being in these places anyway, without having to circumnavigate a stairwell 3 times to get from bottom to top.