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Original poster

Embarrassing accident.

91 replies

Holl100 · 04/08/2025 17:59

I was on the escalator coming down. Had my 6 yr old DD, me with shopping bags and a basket. Missed stepping when getting on as I got my leg twisted and struggled with the basket. I fell forward down Went down quite a few steps. I twisted my ankle and have cut/grazed bottom of my leg which is now sore. The shop assistant saw and sort of ran after me but should the emergency stop have been applied? I could have fell to the bottom and couldn’t re gain my balance but luckily was able to pull myself up and luckily my 6 year old didn’t fall but I did continue down for a little while. It could have been worse. Shook me up and I’m really embarrassed

OP posts:
TempyBrennan · 05/08/2025 08:02

The emergency stop isn’t for falls, it would likely cause a jolt and send you even further (or your poor daughter)

I hope you’re ok, I wouldn’t even be embarrassed by that at all!

fnfjfjf · 05/08/2025 08:04

ClarasSisters · 05/08/2025 06:17

Your daughter almost certainly would have fallen as well had the emergency stop been applied. If it hurts to walk then you should get checked out at urgent care.

I only use escalators if I have a hand free to hold the rail. I've never particularly liked them but trust them less as I get older. Also find it embarrassing to fall asleep I'm getting older - definitely think it's a sign you're aging when people swarm to pick you up! Try not to dwell on it though.

Hope you're feeling better soon Flowers

This. I was on an escalator as a child when it stopped suddenly for no reason. I fell despite holding on. It was one of those old escalators with very deep grooves and I badly cut my arm.

Namechangerage · 05/08/2025 08:14

FriedBean · 05/08/2025 07:25

“An escalator accident in a shop should be reported and documented, including obtaining a copy of the shop's accident report and any relevant security camera footage.”

I agree, just that the OP shouldn’t include a complaint that the shop worker didn’t press emergency stop. Just report the accident factually.

cooroocoocoo · 05/08/2025 08:14

Hope you get better soon OP. It sounds scary. Sounds like your little one didn't get hurt which is a silver lining.

In a bind, people don't always think to push the stop button the escalator. I have seen the start of a pile up at the bottom of an escalator at Heathrow. I did press the stop button as I was still on top but people sort of freeze up a bit in these situations and then the button is gone.

Ryeman · 05/08/2025 08:34

JustMyView13 · 05/08/2025 04:55

Did you see what happened in Bangkok airport? They’re actually pretty dangerous. I think of this lady every time I’m on those flat ones.

www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-66062753

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Am I going to regret clicking on this link?!

Flyswats · 05/08/2025 08:35

I don't think you need to be embarrassed but I'm really sorry this happened and sorry your DD was upset by it too.

dottiedodah · 05/08/2025 08:39

Never been too keen on escalators TBH.As a child I was always nervous of them (lived in London then!) Recently I feel like Im going to fall forward(side effect from chemo maybe?) Take the lift now .I hope youre OK OP and your LO too.It always shakes you up a bit. A lady in front of me lost her shopping and it stopped the escalator.She was OK and someone ran into SB for a fresh pizza for her as hers had been run over by her trolley wheel!

Caravaggiouch · 05/08/2025 08:40

I’ve been on an escalator before when it stopped very suddenly and I very nearly fell all the way down, as did everyone else on it. So I agree it would have been more dangerous to hit the emergency stop unless there was literally no one else on it.

notacooldad · 05/08/2025 08:41

Trouble is op, that hindsight is a wonderful thing and yes they should have hit stop but as the probably have never been trained or seen such an incident... hope you're not too badly hurt and it gets better soon.
I agree with this and also hope you are feeling a bit better at least.

When we've had de briefings after an incident we always get asked ' but why didn't you do this, that or the other' The answer is always the same, we were in the moment, doing what we could and sometimes things get missed. In this case the shop worker may not have known or thought about the stop because they were trying to help you.

JustMyView13 · 05/08/2025 08:41

Ryeman · 05/08/2025 08:34

Am I going to regret clicking on this link?!

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Yes. I’d say so… 😬

ForFunGoose · 05/08/2025 08:47

Hope you feel better soon OP
I think if your hands are full it’s better to take the lift . If the emergency button was pushed it could have made a bad situation worse. Think it was an accident, you live and learn.

MermaidMummy06 · 05/08/2025 09:02

You just reminded me of the time my friend's dress got stuck in the edge bit of the escalator, where the steps disappear into the floor at the top.

It was pulling & chewing the edge of her dress & we were terrified it was going to pull her whole dress off, in public, with lots of people around. Thankfully it was a cheap material & she could yank it free & it ripped. Only a few people saw. It's kind of scary how easy accidents can happen on escalators.

I'm waiting for one of the screen teens to face plant on the one at our local shops, as it's only working half the time!

WombatChocolate · 05/08/2025 09:03

You had a bit of a stumble. You got yourself up. It all happened in a moment of seconds. And the escalator carried on, with just the 2 of you on it.

A shop worker asked you if you were okay. Presumably you said ‘yes’. Ir did you say something else? You felt a bit embarrassed, but sounds like v few or possibly no-one apart from one worker noticed…and guaranteed, they’ll have all forgotten it now as it wasn’t v spectacular.

It was a bit unfortunate and it shook you up a bit. But there’s no need to make it it into a bigger thing than it was, or look for ‘things that could have been done differently’ or stretch out the thinking about it. This wasn’t an incident which needed the escalator stopped. A shop assistant did see it happen and asked if you were okay. If you hadn’t been, no doubt they would have taken you to a back room and got the first aid kit out or called an ambulance if needed. But you probably did what most of us do when we fall over…felt apembarraseed, assured the enquirer we were fine and rushed off to get out of the situation. Unless the shop assistant was to chase after you and insist there was a bigger thing happening, there wasn’t much more they could do.

So yes, it was a bit unfortunate and yes you might be a bit tender. That’s what happens when you fall over. If you’re concerned you’ve hurt yourself, go to the GP. Otherwise, with kindness, try not to let it become a big thing in your head and move on. These things happen. Often they are absolutely no-ones fault. Often, no-one else needed to respond in anyway different to how they did.

billycat321 · 05/08/2025 09:03

What was embarrassing about it?
When I saw 'embarrassing accident' I thought you meant you had wet your knickers

FlowerUser · 05/08/2025 09:08

I once pressed the emergency stop on a London Underground down escalator because a woman fell to the bottom. It was fine. The escalator stopped immediately but people weren’t thrown violently forwards as the speed is calibrated so that the inertia isn’t enough to fall. If anything people were annoyed they had to walk down until they saw her on the floor at the bottom,

Fortunately she was fine.

godmum56 · 05/08/2025 11:15

The13thFairy · 04/08/2025 18:30

I was on a tube station escalator and I fell 4 or 5 steps to the ground. Grazed hand, badly shaken - I was taken to a room where my hand was washed and bandaged, and various tube staff popped in to see how I was doing. They chatted to each other and to me about elevator safety. The consensus among them is that it was dangerous to do an emergency stop because then loads of people would fall down.

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this. It doesn't glid to a halt, it just stops dead. I think its designed to use if clothing or a finger or something gets caught in the mechanism

Original poster
Holl100 · 05/08/2025 11:25

Thanks. It was only the shop assistant and one other shopper who saw. My entire basket fell to the bottom with a crash, luckily only had two things and nothing glass/ceramic! I don’t think I twisted my ankle actually. I think as I fell forward, my body like swung and I went down a few steps but managed to hold onto the hand rail with both hands and sort of pull myself up. In that the bottom of my leg was against the moving bit which caused the grazing and I must have bashed my inner ankle on it as well as I went. It hurts when I move my foot around and a little swollen this morning but think it will be ok. I’m just lucky my body went that way and not literally head first!

They didnt take my details or do an accident form

OP posts:
Original poster
Holl100 · 05/08/2025 11:29

I don’t know. I’m just embarrassed, I must have looked silly trying to pull myself back up with my hands on the rail and my legs apart as it’s moving! Oh well. Just so thankful my little one didn’t fall. She said to me ‘’I wasn’t scared for me but I was scared for you’’ bless her.

OP posts:
sellotapechicken · 05/08/2025 12:58

What did you want the shop worker to do? Catch you?

Original poster
Holl100 · 05/08/2025 14:03

sellotapechicken · 05/08/2025 12:58

What did you want the shop worker to do? Catch you?

No definitely not! I asked if the emergency stop should have been applied, as I wasn’t struggling to get back up whilst it was moving and my lower leg was against the thing which hurt.. didn’t realise that it didn’t slow gradually which others have pointed out now so now I know

OP posts:
Robyn96 · 05/08/2025 14:24

DaisyChain505 · 04/08/2025 18:11

Don’t be embarrassed. Imagine if you saw that happening to someone else. You wouldn’t find it funny or think “oh my they must be embarrassed!” You would be worried for their safety and hope they were ok. That’s what others were thinking about you.

It sounds scary and you were lucky but it can’t be changed so try not to go over it again and again.

NGL, soon as they stood up and I knew they weren't dead, I'd be howling 🤣

Robyn96 · 05/08/2025 14:25

Holl100 · 05/08/2025 11:25

Thanks. It was only the shop assistant and one other shopper who saw. My entire basket fell to the bottom with a crash, luckily only had two things and nothing glass/ceramic! I don’t think I twisted my ankle actually. I think as I fell forward, my body like swung and I went down a few steps but managed to hold onto the hand rail with both hands and sort of pull myself up. In that the bottom of my leg was against the moving bit which caused the grazing and I must have bashed my inner ankle on it as well as I went. It hurts when I move my foot around and a little swollen this morning but think it will be ok. I’m just lucky my body went that way and not literally head first!

They didnt take my details or do an accident form

Edited

They won't do an accident form because you're not an employee....

Bennetty · 05/08/2025 14:40

I imagine the shop worker was stunned and flustered, they might be kicking themselves right now for not stopping it

Original poster
Holl100 · 05/08/2025 14:51

Robyn96 · 05/08/2025 14:25

They won't do an accident form because you're not an employee....

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Ok, a couple of people up the thread asked whether they had

OP posts:
noidea69 · 05/08/2025 14:54

Where there's blame, there's a claim.