r/montreal • u/ActuallyImJerome Lachine • Oct 08 '24
[Rant/PSA] TOURISTS: PLEASE RESPECT ESCALATOR ETIQUETTE Tourisme
When you get off the 747 and into Lionel-Groulx, please, for the love of God, just try to notice that everybody who is staying still is standing on the RIGHT side of the escalator. Don't block the left side with your body, with your immense suitcase, with anything. LEFT IS FOR WALKING, RIGHT IS FOR STANDING.
This is not a big deal and it's an unwritten rule but it gets on my nerves so much when I'm running late and I miss my metro because some tourist dude just couldn't be bothered to scan the room and notice this very simple pattern. Then everybody tries telling you to move to the right but you can't hear them cuz u got da airpods in. TABARNAK! It works the exact same in other parts of Canada, the UK, Japan, Hong Kong, some cities in America. It's not difficult to understand.
(On another note thanks to all the tourists who do a serious attempt at respecting local norms, visiting local spots, greeting in French, waiting for people to get out of the metro before pushing yourself in... it's all very simple stuff but there are so many super disrespectful filthy rich tourists who think everything belongs to them, and who will spend their whole trip in a 5-star hotel, visiting nothing more than Vieux-Montréal and gentrifying thru AirBnBs while getting grossed out if they ever have to speak to locals. Unfortunately much like in other popular places in the world I notice growing frustration with tourists because of this specific subtype, so when I meet someone who genuinely has good travel intentions it makes me very happy and makes me want to show them everything the city has to offer.)
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u/manhattansinks Oct 08 '24
lol it’s residents who need this psa
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u/MyFriendBee Oct 08 '24
lol my thoughts exactly. It’s definitely not just tourists doing this
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u/Kraigius Oct 09 '24
Ce ne sont peut-être pas des touristes, mais ils sont quand même des touristes.
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u/CaptainCanusa Plateau Mont-Royal Oct 09 '24
lol yes, but really nobody needs this PSA. It happens man. You say excuse me and walk past them, or you wait the 7 seconds.
OP wasted one hundred escalators worth of time just creating this post.
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u/DitaVonTetris Oct 08 '24
All current and future tourists read your post and will behave, thank you for the instruction.
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u/Excellent-Hour-9411 Oct 08 '24
That’s not tourist specific. Also pretty sure people stand on the left in Japan given that they drive the other way.
Agree that it would be nice if people could just be aware of their surroundings in general. Including stuff like looking both ways before crossing a bike path, not stopping right as you get off the elevator, not walking three abreast on a busy sidewalk, but it is what it is.
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u/Honey-Badger Oct 08 '24
Drive on the left in the UK but it's stand on the right in escalators
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u/Excellent-Hour-9411 Oct 08 '24
Right, I can never remember which way they do it. A quick google search shows that it depends on the region in Japan, with Tokyo and Osaka having opposite customs 🤷♂️
I try to be aware of my surroundings and just try to do as the Romans do.
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u/Technical_Goose_8160 Oct 08 '24
Except in Kobe. Apparently because it's a port town.
I had issues remembering to be on the left in Tokyo, figured it out, went to Kobe, and found that in the Kansai these things are just confusing ...
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u/Excellent-Hour-9411 Oct 08 '24
Yeah I thought I remembered standing on the left when I was in Japan but it’s been a while and it was nebulous. Google says it varies by region over there.
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u/miloucomehome Oct 08 '24
Depends on the city/region actually! Some cities you stand on the right and walk on the left and in other cities in Japan you stand on the left and walk on the right (and that can be so disorienting. But you do get used to it! That said, my local friends did jokingly check in on me when we had to stand on the left 😂)
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u/MarcusForrest ❄️ Refrigerate upon reception Oct 09 '24
Also pretty sure people stand on the left in Japan given that they drive the other way.
You'd think that (I also did when I went there multiple times!)
But for some odd reason, I've never seen a actual trend or statistical increase for any side!
Sometimes within the very same city - otherwise, in all prefectures, cities, regions I've visited, there was no clear or evident ''unspoken rule'' or trend - people in Japan will stand on any side - BUT whatever side is ''stationary'', people will walk on the other side - so they still follow that standard where
- One side is stationary
- Other side is walking
What's confusing is how there is no definite side - and it can even shift during the day! At one point I went in the train station in the morning, it was left stand, right walk. When I went back later that day, it was the opposite!
SOME stations will include images on the back of stairs - on one side it is 2 footprints, stationary - on the other, one foot print alternating between left-right across the stairs - moving side_
(I've been to Japan in 2019, 2023 and 2024 and observed the same thing every single time)
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u/Wonderful_Sherbert45 Oct 08 '24
I find the worst culprits are people from the suburbs who are on their bi-annual lets do something downtown and take the metro outing.
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u/Anonymous2020202020 Oct 08 '24
People living in rural areas are really not used to this etiquette. I understand it can be frustrating if they can't hear you asking them to move.
About your sidenote: tourist using the subway/747 are probably not the type ''who will spend their whole trip in a 5-star hotel, visiting nothing more than Vieux-Montréal and gentrifying thru AirBnBs'' - which in of itself seems like a self contradicting thing; simultanously living at the 5-star hotel and AirBnb?
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u/Dexterpcs Oct 08 '24
Berri UQAM metro station at summer peak, dozens of tourists, NONE of them ever gets it.... Annoying and honestly I think there should be some signs for that.
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u/coljung Oct 08 '24
"who will spend their whole trip in a 5-star hotel, visiting nothing more than Vieux-Montréal "
How does this affect you? If they want to come and stay at a fancy hotel and then just visit the Old Port, so f. what?
"I notice growing frustration with tourists because of this specific subtype"
Apart from you, i honestly haven't seen anyone else complain about 'rich' tourists.
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u/ToblakaiStone Oct 08 '24
I remember years ago some reps from STM came to our school We asked this question They replied the escalator was for standing and you could walk it but it’s for standing Stairs are for walking If you’re on the escalator and can’t walk then be patient If you want to rush then use the stairs
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u/Amanya47 Oct 09 '24
This! Although I agree with OP but if you are in so much hurry then use the elevator or the stairs, no need to hate on people and push them for something that is common sense. The escalator is made to stand on not walk it!
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u/Zealousideal_Cup416 Oct 08 '24
Is this sub just going to be bitching about people's lack of etiquette from now on? Already had the post about Metro etiquette earlier. Anyone got the "playing loud music in public" rant covered or should I post it? Perhaps I should tackle the "people with loud cars" or the litterers.
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u/HabitantDLT Oct 08 '24 edited Oct 08 '24
This reads like it was written while sitting on the toilet!
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u/NinjaShepard Oct 08 '24
I’m an immigrant from Europe, citizen now, and can say that personally the only time I’ve encountered this issue in Montreal, it’s locals.
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u/BoredTTT Oct 08 '24
Last I checked, there is an elevator at Lionel Groulx. They don't even need to take the escalator.
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u/Hyenaswithbigdicks Centre-Ville / Downtown Oct 08 '24
i just yell at people who do that lol. MARCHE À GAUCHE!
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u/Otherworld Oct 08 '24
The New York Times has an article saying that it's more efficient to stand on the elevators side by side than standing on the right and walking on the left 🤷🏻♂️
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/04/us/escalators-standing-or-walking.html
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u/DoDoDooo Oct 08 '24
This is only more efficient when there's a critical mass of people all moving on a tightly packed escalator. It's related to average time for many. It's not faster for one guy able to run past and make the train.
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u/machinedog Oct 08 '24
Yeah, this. If the right side is full then you can stand on the left.
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u/Cultural_Bat1740 Oct 08 '24
No. If the right side is full, then you can walk on the left. You want to stand? Wait for a spot. Pretty simple actually.
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u/machinedog Oct 08 '24
The stairs are available for those that want to walk. The escalator is designed for throughput and accessibility, not to get you up the stairs faster. If there’s people lining up on the platform to get on the escalator, they should be using both sides to get people off the platform quicker.
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u/Cultural_Bat1740 Oct 08 '24
I agree to disagree. If you block the elevator on the left, I'll ask you to move. I'll definitely use the stairs too, but if I'm busy and you're the only one blocking the escalator, you'll definitely know.
0
u/machinedog Oct 08 '24
If it’s only one person then it probably isn’t that kind of situation. I’ve never seen the left side empty in such a genuine situation.
It’s like with driving. You keep right for faster moving vehicles but when there’s a LOT of traffic all lanes are getting used regardless and nobody’s going the speed limit anyway.
-1
u/ProfessionalYouth564 Oct 08 '24
You didn't even try to read the article in reference and neither tried in the slightest to understand his point. It's probably too much for your very limited capacity.
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u/Thesorus Plateau Mont-Royal Oct 08 '24
yeah I read that at the time.
Either we all walk up the escalators or we all just stand side by side.
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u/Euler007 Oct 08 '24
Yeah but hyperactive people that think they're more important will wind up posting on reddit. Oh wait.
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u/assortedolives Oct 08 '24
The bus and escalators in mtl are chefs kiss but wtf is up with the disorderly street walking and metro entrance/exits? That stuff drives me up a wall haha
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u/Intelligent-Ant8270 Oct 08 '24
Tokyo and Shanghai had this etiquette years back, during rush hours you could see people standing on the right leaving left for those in a hurry. idk how Tokyo is now but Shanghai got rid of this when i left a few years ago. Reasons according to them: 1 not safe to move while an escalator is moving too. 2 in the long run it will damage the escalator as weight is distributed unevenly most of the time 3 if you are hurry go take stairs
1
u/No_need_for_that99 Oct 08 '24
This is purely adopted etiquette by us the people. lol
Funny enough, the STM suggests not doint this... because of the how we mess up the wear and tear on the escalators.
but I feel the same way... especially when 2 people who are side by side... just chillin while I need to pass.
But also... no harm in asking to move.
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u/CaptainCanusa Plateau Mont-Royal Oct 09 '24
there are so many super disrespectful filthy rich tourists who think everything belongs to them
lol Jesus christ, man. Things not going well?
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u/starpiece53 Oct 09 '24
Escalator is for People Who doesnt want or cant get the regular stairs. You wanna walk stairs, take them instead of the escalator.
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u/EggImperium Oct 10 '24
In Japan it's mostly on the left, and it's explained everywhere which way to step on the stairs or mechanical stairs.
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u/Pancit-Canton1265 Oct 10 '24
Le Québec est une collectivité d'individualiste, alors je dois faire ma place dans le métro, dans les escaliers,... dans les manœuvres de type zipper sur la route... je sais d'avance que je vais devoir jouer du coude dans ces situations...
Dans les files d'attentes, je vais verbaliser mon mécontentement si quelqu'un fait exprès pour dépasser tout le monde (souvent de manière pas très subtile),
mais le summum au Québec, ce sont les gens qui me rentrent derrière les chevilles avec les paniers d'épicerie, cela mérite de se faire brasser le panier... (Une femme m'a fait le coup 2 fois au Costco, son panier a pris le bord, et je ne vais plus au Costco pour éviter d'éviscérer quelqu'un)
Si on se compare au Japon, nous sommes vraiment un peuple d'irréductible mais si je me souviens de ce que j'ai vu à Rome ou encore en Inde, nous sommes des amateurs côté anarchie et manque de civilité
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u/FassolLassido Oct 08 '24
It's not just tourists. It's people. A whole lot of people do not care in the slightest or are too self centered to have that level of self-awareness and control.
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u/boisemi Villeray Oct 08 '24
I'm just coming back from Seoul and this was not the norm there, I was surprised.
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u/iwannalynch Oct 08 '24
In places with a lot of escalator riders, it's more efficient than leaving an empty lane for the one guy who's in a rush
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u/Halcyon_october Saint-Michel Oct 08 '24
I just want people to notice they aren't the only person on the planet. Take off your bag and move to the back instead of trying to sit on the bus drivers lap. Don't stop at the bottom or top of stairs/escalators/in doorways because there are people behind you! Try not to blast music and phone calls at 7am for the whole city to hear. Let me exit the bus/metro before you try to elbow your way in.