In my city we have a lot of escalators that help people go up and down between the streets towards the subways one or multiple levels below street level. Sometimes you'll find multiple escalators, where one goes 'up' all day, and one goes 'down' all day. But in the case of limited space or maybe even energy savings, we also have those that go 'up' if it detects a person stepping on it from below, then when the person is 'up' stops moving, then go 'down' if it detects a user on the top instead.
Of course this creates a conflict, sometimes, where these stairs go 'down' because some people stepped on it first but you want to go 'up' and you have to wait until all these people are finally down - meanwhile you're praying no-one gets on the escalators before you do, because then the wait begins, again.
Are you dizzy yet with visualizing what I'm talking about?
Anyway.
Yesterday I was walking towards those escalators that go both up and down depending who steps on them first. Next to those escalators are 'normal' static stairs, but I had pain in my feet - as I often have.
I almost stepped on the escalators when I noticed an elderly man waiting to use them one floor up. The escalators were still going 'up' from a previous person using them, and if I would step on them now, that man would have to wait longer. He looked like he was in pain - like me - but on top of that, he was clearly waiting for them to stop so he could - finally - use them.
I've been where that man is many many times.
If you're in pain 20 more seconds of standing can feel like a life-time.
So with my one foot already almost on the escalators I suddenly decided to use the 'static stairs' instead. I'm in pain, but he needs it more right now, I thought. I had no way of knowing, but that was my split-second decision.
My boyfriend who was walking behind me at that point looked at me surprised: 'I thought you were in pain', he said. I explained what made me walk the stairs - he reacted even more surprised, as he hadn't noticed the man on top of the escalators at all.
While walking up the stairs, a person behind us clearly didn't see the man waiting on top of the escalator either - or didn't care. Or actually needed them - like me. I just noticed while I was walking the stairs some other person was using the escalators - and the man on top had to wait a little while longer.
"Awww - that sucks, now he has to wait anyway", is what I thought.
While I was almost on top I saw the face of the man - he looked angry, staring at the person coming up the escalators. Then, while I was almost walking towards the exit I heard the elderly man say towards the younger person coming up: "ARE YOU TOO LAZY TO WALK THE STAIRS?!"
And oh - how conflicted I was about the whole situation the rest of the day. I clearly sympathised with a fellow person of limited mobility trying to move around in a city that's not always friendly towards 'us' - although many many other cities, even in our wannabe inclusive country, are way way worse. Then again, I was also annoyed by the totally misplaced assumption that a younger person using these escalators was 'obviously too lazy to walk'.
It wasn't the first time that I noticed elderly people assuming me or other people being healthy - just because I was a young lady.
In the end I wished I did use the escalators - so the elderly man would have yelled at ME. As through experience I was ready to respond - and I could have explained to him that young people aren't automatically fitter/healthier than older people.
You can read this however you want. I'm not complaining. I'm just observing little snippets of life, experiences I have, things I notice that I didn't notice until I became a person with limited mobility. Sometimes they make me angry, sometimes they make me laugh. I write them down in order to create order in the chaos that is called my head. It's cheaper than therapy. Maybe create some awareness along the way. Cheers.
More stories in the 'Limited Mobility | Unlimited Stories' series
- Limited mobility | Unlimited stories: I took this picture only moments before I would permanently damage my foot
- Limited mobility | Unlimited stories: How far do you go?
- Limited mobility | Unlimited stories: am I still a photographer?
- Limited mobility | Unlimited stories: what is a Spoonie and am I one too?
- Limited mobility | Unlimited stories: How my friends and family show me they understand my limitations
- Limited mobility | Unlimited stories: Why I'm looking for a magical shoe store like the one from my childhood
- Limited mobility | Unlimited stories: When something doesn't go according to plan
- Limited mobility | Unlimited stories: How my recovery days look like
- Limited mobility | Unlimited stories: How to exercise if one foot can't be used?
- Limited mobility | Unlimited stories: Starting a fitness experimentation adventure