Vehicle: Travelator
travel-later   (+3)  [vote for, against]
fake travelators encourage speedy pedestrians

Anyone else noticed that people walk much faster on broken down travelators than the do on the strip of carpet which is usually present on either side ? Surely we could harness this pedestrian weirdism by installing false travelators where it's advantageous for everyone to walk fast, but where a working travelator would be impracticable or expensive. Like major shopping thoroughfares. Hmm.
-- neilp, Jul 15 2003

Ifind that I walk faster on broken travelators because they have a springy feel when you walk on them that puts a small bounce in your step - at least the rubber topped ones. Otherwise, I might walk faster on it simply because it was unobstructed by slow walkers.

It seems to me to be no better (but a lot more expensive) than putting a stripe down the sidewalk with a "Fast Walker Lane" sign on one side. I would then feel guilty if I was walking slow in the fast lane. Kind of like those "Stand to right, Walk to left" signs on the airport travelators which seem to be pretty effective.
-- dweeb, Jul 15 2003


you're probably right [dweeb], I propose a controlled experiment.

One street: tarmac 2nd : broken travelator 3rd : go faster stripe

(interesting point about springiness too, perhaps we just coat all streets with rubber)
-- neilp, Jul 15 2003


Big ugly cops with cattle prods would be cheaper and more effective.
-- LabRat, Jul 15 2003



random, halfbakery