h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

the Dutch do not know "walking on escalator" etiquette. every one just stands every where. if you are in hurry you need to wrestle through.

the rail company decided to give the Dutch lessons in "walking on escalator" etiquette. it is just a trail lesson in one train station. they added red footsteps where should stand still and green where you run up-/downstairs. also placed with the explanation an instructional video.

I think they tried before.

If people want to walk, why don't they use the normal stairs?

because some might think they even faster or the stairs have the same chaos

..."Rome traffic rules" in Dutch train / metro station

One day my brother (in Paris) stopped hurrying and running to get the metro, and if he missed one he'd take the next one. (Also, he wouldn't choose which carriage to take according to the proximity with the exit of his arrival station ) He found that it actually didn't put him behind schedule in any significant manner, and he was less stressed.

I spent a WE in Amsterdam a month ago, and I found that what I was told is true - you never know if you'll get run over by a car, a tram or a bicycle (Hey, I also spent a day or so in Groningen!)

Maybe you could follow the system we have in the UK London underground; if your a female you can run up and down the escalators however you like; knock people over without appologizing and generally behave antisocially and it won't even raise a comment. But if your male you have to follow the rules on which side/standing still etc, in order that women can push you down the escalators.

Don't the British stand on the wrong side of the escalator anyway?

The most important thing to remember in the British system, asides the freedom women have to knock people down the escalators, and push past whoever they want, is that men must always look as utterly misserable as possible, never* smile, engage in no conversation/speeking to anyone else on the system, and look as suicidal as possible. They must* maintain this face of missery and suicidal lookingness, even when two H2G2 rsearchers, midafternoon on a Saturday are happily singign 'its a long way to tiparary' on the escalators.

they use UK as example...

I haven't noticed the behaviour you describe, 2legs.
Then again, I think there should be at least one advantage being female.

I've been knocked down the escilators on the underground twice, both times by women.... and I was standing on the correct side... Mind, I've also fallen down the escilators at least* once just under my own steam

I like your view of escalator etiquette in the UK, 2 legs. It may only be slightly true, if at all, but it's very amusing (even if it wasn't very amusing for you)

Jab

You'd be supprised how accurate if a little blown out of proportion my descriptions were
Seriously, here in London on the underground, people always* look really miserable But then again, the underground/tube in London is pretty awful and dirty... But not* all* that bad as perhaps the miserable faces might make it appear (actually I've used the buses in London a lot more since the traffic charging measures in the centre made the roads a bit less busy, and the buses are useually a lot better)

The underground trains and stations are frighteningly crowded - I clearly remember the first meet I went to, when we fetched you from King's X to go to Hyde Park - it was a nightmare.

I don't mind it as much as I used to; AT least not the busy and lots of people bit; I still find it useually far far too hot, and the air very.... unbreathable ; I think taht is why now I generally use the bus instead if I'm in london and its possible to get the bus... At least it might be crowded like the underground, but there is some more breathible air

I've never been knocked down, but I've been trodden on and pushed a few times...usually men. With miserable faces!

Jab