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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think this woman was rude for swearing and barging by me?

175 replies

thelifeofamber · 28/12/2015 18:09

People queuing up to go down the escalator, I checked my phone but the queue moved much faster than I thought.

I stopped at the top to put my phone back and the woman behind muttered for fuck sake and barged by me and went down the escalator.

I was wrong to hold her up but surely she didn't have to be that rude?

OP posts:
user7755 · 28/12/2015 20:16

You stopped at the top of an escalator, with someone close enough behind you that you were an obstruction when you stopped. You were waiting in a queue to get onto the escalator which implies that there were people in front of you either not he escalator or waiting to get on. Can you genuinely not see what would have happened if you had been knocked over and falling onto the people in front of you?

Have you ever toppled dominos?

Bounced · 28/12/2015 20:18

YABU And quite lucky that it wasn't rush hour as you would probably have been pushed unceremoniously onto the escalator by the flow of people behind you. In the same way, its rude to stand in the middle of a pavement or a station corridor - you muck up the flow of people and it backs everything up. If you have to check your phone, find a wall or quiet corner or else learn to hold it in your hand as you get on an escalator.

She shouldn't have sworn, but I completely understand her frustration, though a loud 'excuse me' would have been more polite.

emotionsecho · 28/12/2015 20:18

From your opening post you implied you had stopped at the top of the escalator in order to put your phone in your bag or pocket. By stopping dead at the top of the escalator and not just continuing the forward motion of the queue by stepping on you could well have caused a pile up behind you as everyone behind you will have assumed the forward motion would continue, hence the dangerous comments.

Original poster
thelifeofamber · 28/12/2015 20:19

I have drawn an amazing diagram to show you.

As yes I really don't understand how I created a very dangerous situation.

(Pleas marvel at my amazing art skills)

to think this woman was rude for swearing and barging by me?
OP posts:
lorelei9 · 28/12/2015 20:20

She didn't barge into, you stopped at the top of the escalator so she was trying not to fall over! FFS seems a fair response. You could have caused an accident and actually she would have landed on you.

Why check your phone on an escalator? FFS from me too I'm afraid.

Original poster
thelifeofamber · 28/12/2015 20:21

Why check your phone on an escalator?

I didn't Confused

OP posts:
Idefix · 28/12/2015 20:22

You were in a queue of people waiting to join an escalator, presumably people in front of you and behind with shopping, children and so on all shuffling forward to step on to the escalator.

By stopping and not moving forward you were creating a bottleneck effect.

This increases the chance of someone bumping into you and hurting you or them or worst still causing a domino effect and many people bumping into each other that then effects people on the escalator.

It is fairly worrying that you have no awareness of the possibility of this being dangerous and you are IMO unreasonable in thinking the other woman was the only one being rude.

Trills · 28/12/2015 20:23

Good diagram!

You are entirely entitled to say FFS at all the people who don't understand the direction of the escalator.

If you were walking toward the escalator, with the flow of other human beings, and you suddenly stopped and I had to change course to go around you I would have said FFS too.

And if it was the day after Boxing Day and I had more bags that usual, I might have bumped you with one during my sudden course-change.

lorelei9 · 28/12/2015 20:23

Cross posted with your super art work

It was a down escalator? In that case, she could have accidentally sent you falling down the length of it. I don't understand how you can not understand.

Janeymoo50 · 28/12/2015 20:24

You stopped at the top to put your phone back by your own admission. Move on.

GnomeDePlume · 28/12/2015 20:24

.... but I just can't see how it is dangerous.

Let me explain OP:

The approach to an escalator acts as a funnel. As soon as that funnel is blocked then the flow into the funnel will be forced to the sides. If the flow into the funnel is at a very high rate and there isnt anywhere for the pressure to be eased then there is a danger that the 'blockage' (you) will be forced through the funnel and onto the escalator, possibly falling or tripping up others who are also forced through with you.

Did you never play in the sand tray at school?

emotionsecho · 28/12/2015 20:24

Amazing art skills, OP, but still shows you stopped at the top instead of just doing the normally expected manouevre of stepping onto the escalator.

lorelei9 · 28/12/2015 20:24

Why check your phone when heading to an escalator, a moving walkway full of human beings who will be injured when someone causes an accident?

Sighing · 28/12/2015 20:25

You put yourself in a dangerous position. All it took was for the person behind to be checking their phone and walking to the escalator on "auto". They slam into you because both of you are oblivious to the outside world. You go crashing down an escalator (where you're leg will probably imspact sharply on those interlocking 'teeth'). If they're the shopping centre ones near me they're also very open. You might just go over the side.
Or. Worst case scenario. ... maybe you'd smash your oh so vital phone Wink

user7755 · 28/12/2015 20:25

Brilliant diagram - love the explosion of diagrams on MN at the minute, adds a certain je ne sais quoi!

She was close enough behind you that you were an obstruction to her, if she had been distracted (maybe checking her phone) and had bumped into you, you (and maybe she) would have tumbled down the escalator. If there was anyone in front of you, they would also have been hurt.

I'm really surprised that you can't see the potential danger Confused

FlatOnTheHill · 28/12/2015 20:26

HPsauciness
Glad I am not the only one that thinks like you.

user7755 · 28/12/2015 20:27

Sorry, cross posted with loads of people!

AlisonWunderland · 28/12/2015 20:31

You know OP, you could just admit that you were in the wrong.
Then everyone would say the other woman was rude...

Original poster
thelifeofamber · 28/12/2015 20:32

You were in a queue of people waiting to join an escalator, presumably people in front of you and behind with shopping, children and so on all shuffling forward to step on to the escalator

No children behind and when I looked behind me there was a queue of 2 people (not including the ffs woman as she had gone infront)

I do see the danger but I also think that its an over exaggeration of said danger.

I think people are imaging 100s of people stood on an escalator and 100s of people waiting to get on, including many babies and elderly. She would have had to hit me with some force to knock me over ... and I wasn't hovering over the edge either.

OP posts:
limitedperiodonly · 28/12/2015 20:37

Oh FFS

user7755 · 28/12/2015 20:38

I completely disagree that the danger is being exaggerated.

I don't think that you have mentioned whether anyone was already on the escalator? From your diagram, I think not?

So it would either be just you and her falling from top to bottom or your fall being softened as you knock a load of other people down.

ghnocci · 28/12/2015 20:41

So after she barged past you instead of getting straight onto the escalator, you continued to stand there, gawping behind you at the queue which had started to form

If I've got that wrong, please feel free to post another diagram

Idefix · 28/12/2015 20:42

Give up Hmm

I used the idea of children but as others said it would have only taken one other person doing what you were doing bumping into someone etc.

Obviously mn is full worriers in your world op.

Original poster
thelifeofamber · 28/12/2015 20:42

So it would either be just you and her falling from top to bottom

We were stationary, she would have had to shoved myself and jumped on my back for us to have fallen from top to bottom.

OP posts:
RufusTheReindeer · 28/12/2015 20:45

Good diagram

You are missing the point. It does not matter if there was no one behind you at the time. Stopping at the top of the escalator while distracted is dangerous

I appreciate that you dont feel it is....but this is where Darwins survival of the fittest comes in

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