Escalators will rip your pants off
By SomeCowgirl
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
United States
July 14, 2012 10:28pm CST
... Atleast that's a fear of mine. One reason why I don't like going on the escalator. I always have a bit of a problem getting on because I'm afraid it will either cut me or rip my pants or whatever I'm wearing off..
I usually "jump" off the escalator by stepping far away from it before it gets to the bottom step.
I'm not normal, am I? lol.
Who else has this fear? (tell i'm not alone!)
3 people like this
14 responses
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
15 Jul 12
Ouch! Okay I can understand that, it was embarrassing for sure! I wouldn't want to be on an escalator for awhile after that myself!
1 person likes this
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
15 Jul 12
No I don't even wear them that long!(not anymore) that's the funny part.
Maybe they are just afraid of falling forward when they reach the top? Hmm..
1 person likes this
@oindy54 (3445)
• India
15 Jul 12
Hi,
I can understand your fear to some extent though I have never felt that an escalator could rip off pants. But I had this terrible fear of escalators about 10 years ago. I refused to go to any mall that had these in place of regular stairs. After entering into a relationship with my boyfriend during my college days, he would take me to such places (malls, tube train stations etc.) and hold my hand and make me take the escalator. We did it together, stepping on to it hand in hand. He was bent on removing my fear of escalators. Initially I halted when I went before an escalator and when people in a hurry to get on to the tube train came behind me, they would laugh or pass comments. But gradually and it really did take time but over the years I got used to it and now I am no longer frightened of escalators. I am thankful to him for helping me in this. Or else I would probably have never overcome my fear.
1 person likes this
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
15 Jul 12
It is good when people help you overcome your fear. I had a friend of mine when we were working together, rudely help me overcome my fear of elevators. I didn't think of it until now when you said something. He took me to the highest floor of the hotel we worked and we were going down the hall, or so I thought. He snuck back in the elevator and there I was alone and having to take the elevator!
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
15 Jul 12
I think it was his own way of helping me, but it did piss me off!
@celticeagle (165954)
• Boise, Idaho
15 Jul 12
I think I am more nervous on an escalator than I am in an elevator. The escalator is so grinding and has a small hole with metal grinding down and it is scarey to me. I saw on some show where a woman had gotten the scarf she had wrapped around her kneck caught in the works of the escalator. It was horrible. freaks me out.
1 person likes this
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
15 Jul 12
Oh my goodness! How did she get it off! I imagine if she twirled in the reverse she may have worked it off, but that is scary!
I'd never have thought about the scarf, of course I don't wear scarves and when I do I don't wear them long.
An elevator your shut off from everyone, unless there is a call button or you have a phone where you can dial someone, you are STUCK. An escalator people can see you if you're in distress.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (165954)
• Boise, Idaho
17 Jul 12
She was caught in it for quite awhile and the scarf went way down to where she was strangling. The security people of the mall came and got her out. It took them afew minutes to get there. I was on the edge of my seat.
@Dominique25 (9464)
• United States
15 Jul 12
I understand your fear. I also jump a little bit off as well. They just go way to fast for me. I don't care to go on them. Why do they have to move so fast?
1 person likes this
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
15 Jul 12
The ones around me don't move as fast, maybe move down here? Actually sometimes I wish they'd move faster so I could get off of it faster lol
1 person likes this
@Dominique25 (9464)
• United States
16 Jul 12
I'm glad that those ones don't move that fast. There are ones that move really fast. I'm always looking at the floor when I'm on them. I'm glad though that I don't have to ride them that often but the ones that I have went really fast. It's probably better for me to take the stairs anyway. I need the little exercise I'm sure it's better for me that way. After all we can have everything be convenient for us.
@whitewind17 (15)
• Philippines
15 Jul 12
Well I'm not really afraid of escalators. I guess it's not yet a problem, unless you continue to fear the escalators and I fear it will lead to phobia. Just try to face it bit by bit. ^^ Go Go Go!!! Face your fear!
1 person likes this
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
15 Jul 12
I do use the escalator, but I have my own way of getting on and off of it. I just fear it causing me harm if something like a shoe etc were to get stuck on it.
@Beaver114 (73)
• Philippines
15 Jul 12
I know of some friends who are traumatize that they would rather use the stairs. I always tell them that it is all psychological and that as long as they stay in the middle that nothing will go wrong.
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
15 Jul 12
I guess it's all about what you've heard. From a young age I was "scared" of them because of my sister. She was the worst when it came to scaring me. She told me something about my pants could be ripped off or I could be cut up. I'm guessing something must have happened to someone around that time or she'd heard something about it for her to even know about it. She's only six years older then me.
@AmbiePam (91960)
• United States
18 Jul 12
I'm afraid of escalators. When I was around four, I sat down on one, legs straight out as we were descending down to where the steps flatten. My mom was preoccupied with my older sister, and didn't see that my legs were about to be shredded. At the last minute a man near the escalator swooped in to pick me up. It scared the heck out of me and I started crying. My mom was so grateful to the guy. He totally saved me from getting shredded, but since then I've been very very wary of them. I don't like getting on them at all. It doesn't make sense, but childhood memories will do that to you I guess.
It won't cut you for sure, as of the pants...thats pretty much impossible too.
@realbusinesswithyou (226)
• Philippines
15 Jul 12
Well i dont think it would rip your pants off, and if it would rip your pants off then the quality of your pants is not good/too old! well i think it is much more risky to jummp off the escalator rather than just to step in and out of it. just be careful to avoid freak accidents
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
15 Jul 12
By "jump" I don't mean a big jump. I mean right before it gets to the bottom (as in a "step" away) or when it gets there, but kind of "jumping" one foot over and then the other.
@monkmano (585)
• Canada
15 Jul 12
i have to first say, hilarious subject line i actually laughed -- good to pull me in too
i had this fear as a kid and a bit today too, i may jump a little and i certainly am fixated on the stairs. you arent alone, power in numbers though we cant all get on the escalator at once or we'll definitely get stuck or at least forget to jump.
1 person likes this
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
15 Jul 12
When it's crowded it's even more of a "get off of it in a hurry"!
The fear actually came from my childhood, and my older sister!... What are sibilings for after all?
@blythejunior (48)
• Indonesia
15 Jul 12
hahaha i know how it feels, it happened to me once, when i was in the middle school. its embarassing and annoying. now i step on the front edge of the escalator step to prevent this :D
1 person likes this
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
15 Jul 12
It happened to you while at school one day? My goodness, I don't think I'd ever use the escalators there again if I could help it!
@fencer07 (98)
•
15 Jul 12
I do not have that specific fear, but I do have fears when it comes to escalators (and even worse! elevators). I am afraid that something will catch my eye or I will be so engaged in conversation that I forget to make that giant step off an escalator that is going up a floor. I imagine if that did happen, I would fall on my face and it would really hurt, but it would also be super embarassing.
