
BART: Walk-left, stand-right ‘rule’ wears out escalators - prostoalex
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/BART-Walk-left-stand-right-rule-wears-out-10870252.php
======
Neliquat
Maybe, since this is a standard wherever there are esclators or moving
platforms, the manufacuturers hold some blame? It seems optimizing for that
behavior would be simple.

~~~
brudgers
I think it's more a matter of timeframes. Escalators have been around since
the end of the 19th century, and it has taken about a century for humans to
develop 'laws of the road.' But as the article shows, facility owners have not
yet adapted to the change in human behavior and facility owners are who buys
escalators. And few bureaucrats, whether in San Fransisco or China, are going
to go out on a limb and demand an unproven asymmetric escalator design.

So for manufacturers there's no demand and there will not be for several
decades at best...escalators are long life cycle equipment and an asymmetric
escalator doesn't pay for itself through energy savings and the increased
maintenance costs of asymmetric ridership aren't high enough to justify a
swapout...even if a bureaucrat could get the budget to cover initial cost,
which most can't.

------
keyle
This is a perfect example of UX side effects! Was never designed to be used
that way but somehow through humans every day use it's become a thing. There
is ample opportunity to make this better. And sadly in 10 or so years, you
will be fined for using the wrong side...

