Which side of the stairs do you walk on?
By kevchua
@kevchua (1004)
Malaysia
July 29, 2009 12:05am CST
When I was in school, we were taught to walk on the left of the stairs so that those coming from the opposite direction will be able to walk down smoothly. That was school days. In reality, when I go anywhere that requires me to use the stairs, I notice that people don't follow this "rule". They'd come down and expect you to make way for them. Sometimes we continue blocking each other's way because we don't know which way we're going - left or right, right or left. It's funny, but it's not, too.
How often do you come across this situation, and what's your comment on this?
1 person likes this
4 responses
@sunilparthan (6302)
• India
29 Jul 09
me too walk on the left side of the stairs i think it will be better to walk in that side
@KiltyCol (1)
• United Kingdom
29 Dec 14
Generally the convention for stairs is “Walk as you drive”.
In the UK Highway Code; para 1, includes the phrase “avoid being next to the kerb with your back to the traffic” – meaning “keep left”. It makes sense to have the same convention on the stairs - In the UK, “keep left” as on the footway.
In any country, “Walk as you drive” on footways, stairs, doorways etc., (except on a road with no footway/sidewalk where you walk opposite to the driving rule).
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
29 Jul 09
We were taught to keep to the right. Just like the way that we drive here, you drive on the right hand side of the road and reserve the left from our perspective for traffic either going the opposite direction (2 lane road) or for faster traffic (highway, 4+ lane road).
I've always walked on the right hand side of the stairs because that's the way that I was taught and it just makes sense to me because that is also the way that I drive. To do one thing on the right hand side and the other on the left hand side would just be too much for my poor little mind to handle.
@srganesh (6340)
• India
29 Jul 09
Most of us are taught like that.It is always easy to walk on the left as we are trained like that.But in a busy mall or public place,some people are slow either going up or coming down.So we have to overtake them in our hurry and we can't be specific about the rules.So,since we are not in school anymore,find where there is way and go left or right.Cheers!
@cwong77 (2010)
• Malaysia
29 Jul 09
hehe.. this will be the wordings to "up or down the stairs, keep left" actually, not just for going up / down the stairs, it will also apply when we drive.. Do you see people drive that hogging the right lane? I wonder... BTW, back to the stairs, Yes, I always keep to my left, even on the escalator, I will stand on the left side... This all thanks to my school strict rules and has become a habit. I don't know how to walk on the right side of the stairs though as I constantly worried people will be coming down from the stairs and we bump into each other.. it's going to be dangerous to fall from stairs!
