to want lifts all to myself

[onemiddlefinger]

I commute to central London with my DS in a pushchair, thankfully the stations I use have lifts (several of them to take each time), and those lifts are slow. So if you miss it, it's another 5 min wait (which is not that bad, but when going home after a long day every minute seems like forever)
AIBU to be annoyed at people who take up space in the lifts when they could be taking the escalator, obviously I'm not talking about the disabled, the ones with young kids (even if walking), the ones with luggage etc, it's the ones that don't have anything wrong with them other than usually being overweight.
Why, oh why do you prefer to queue up for the lift that takes forever rather than stand on the escalator - you don't even have to walk more, if anything it's probably less walking! Is there such thing as fear of escalators and is it very common?
I just don't get it, before DS I had never used a lift in the underground.
AIBU?

You know YABU really because they are there for all to use.

However, I would secretly feel the same so YANBU

I know a couple of people who have a fear of escalators, I think it's relatively common.

Whether or not people have a genuine fear though, they are still allowed to use whichever method they prefer. These people will have a reason for choosing the lift over the escalator, and irritating as it may be, their choice is valid.

YABU and judgemental.

how do you know they are not disabled?

Balance issues making escalators tricky?

Personal preference?

I wish half the people dawdling and procrastinating on escalators would take the lift. It's amazing no one seems to cause a pile up at the top or bottom.

I think I'll rotate the method I use to exit the station from now on, just to be perverse

I've got dodgy knees. I hate steep escalators in train stations.

You would not know this by looking at me. YABU.

You do realise that scoring through a rude comment doesn't stop people from reading it or from it being rude?

I guess I sort of knew I was BU, but I still can't help to be annoyed.
Actually next to the lift there is a wheelchair sign and a parent & child sign, so could argue that the lift is primarily for them...

I know someone who has a huge fear of escalators, so he always takes the lift or stairs. He has nothing wrong with his walking and is perfectly able to stand on an escalator, it just reduces him to a hyperventilating wreck. I think it started when he watched that episode of X Files when the creepy bendy oozy man had a nest under the bottom of an escalator!

YABU but I can see why you are getting frustrated.

Of course YABU - lifts are there for anyone to use, not just for the disabled or people who chose to have kids. If I can't be arsed to walk then I will use the lift...and yes of course there is a fear of esculators. A few years ago my mum was very ill with a neurological condition which affected her balance - quite frankly when I took her to a hospital appointment taking her on the esculators was bloody terrifying. She looked fine though so I guess if she was taking a space up in the lift people maybe have judged...............

dexter73 I didn't not realise that it was rude to call overweight people overweight

I do use the escalators when with DH but they terrify me, I fell down an escalator as a child and wouldn't use them for years. I hang on and DH supports me.
We don't live in London and I avoid stations with escalators if in London with friends but if I was alone I would be looking for the lift. Happy to use stairs, but the escalators leave me sick and dizzy.
Through talking to friends etc this is not as uncommon as I thought, plus the escalators are so long that lots of people seem to find them unnerving. Having written the word 'escalator' more than I ever thought possible in a post, I think YABU.

You said they had nothing wrong with them apart from being overweight which is rude.

I look perfectly able bodied. However I have disc problems and coupled with fibromyalgia it means stairs can be agony for me. Lovely to feel I'm being judged if I get in a lift during a flare up.

yabu
how do you know they have nothing wrong with them?

ok, I admit, I didn't know so many people have problems with escalators

I love this idea that you can tell what is wrong with someone just by looking at them! Magic ability that given so many disabilities are 'hidden'.

But that's fine you keep on judging people! Why don't you put the baby is a sling so you can use the escalators and stop taking a space for someone who has no choices? (Obviously not serious but if your going to judge people using when they don't 'need' then you could fall into that category really)!

sorry tilliebob, in future i will assume these people have a health reason for taking the lift and won't judge.

At the end of the day we all pay for our tickets so even if we are fortunate enough to not have a reason to use the lift we all should be able to without people judging or making comments!

It's the age old "they look able bodied so they must be fine".

I still don't get why seemingly intelligent people think like this!

dexter73 still don't get why it's rude - if a person is overweight then is it rude to say so?
or is it rude to insinuate that being overweigh is having something wrong health wise?

Yabu. Get over yourself.

Not really sure what being overweight has to do with avoiding escalators so that comment was unnecessary anyway.

I had a phobia of escalators until I was ten. I would hyperventilate even getting to the top of them, I was afraid I'd get sucked in down the side. It was actually a trip to London that cured it because I had no option but to use escalators on a few occasions. I think where lifts were broken and no stairs available so my DF had to help me and I haven't been afraid since! So thanks London tube/train stations for that.

Anyway I think you know by now yabu. You can't always see disabilities/illnesses and it could also be phobia. I'm sure if it's that slow nobody would actively choose the lift.

Why assume that people have a health reason for using the lift instead of assuming that they have any reason, including just that they want to?