The wonderful escalators in Budapest were part of our adventure as we rode the subways.  They could really accommodate a crowd.  They were impressively long .  I enjoyed them so much. For all of the rides I’ve had on them as transportation, and in airports and department stores, I did not completely understand their dangers, until my friend E recounted how she saw her young friend V crawling on the escalator as it neared the top, and she yelled to somebody to, ” Pick him up!!  Pick him up!!”.  In the knick of time, before the moving stair was about to slide under the floor, young V was picked up.  E asked me if I had ever heard of any escalator accidents, and I told her, “No, I honestly have not.  But, I bet we can Google the topic, and find out.” So I Googled “escalator injuries”, and came up with over 100,000 results.  I learned that there are more than 10,000 escalator injuries, including some deaths every year.   I used to worry about getting on and off a little bit, which are fairly and justifiable concerns. However,  the escalator dangers are even greater than these.  The gap between the moving stairs and the side is something I had not worried about, and even the moving rail.   But one should, because fingers, clothing feet, and skin can get caught, and as the escalator moves, can cause amputations, muscle and nerve damage, breaks, and as gruesome as anything, “degloving”. Another major danger on escalators is falling due to playing.  Just imagine how bad it could be to fall on such a huge escalator as shown above.  If you google “escalator injuries”,  you may find an article Pediatrics about escalator injuries. To stay safe on the escalator:

1. Never wear flip-flops or other loose shoes.
2. Always have tie shoes well tied.
3. Keep feet away from the outer edge of the moving stairs.
4. Keep fingers away from the gap between the moving railing and the static support.
5. Make sure of the same for any child accompanying you.
6. Hold the hand of the child, and remain aware of what he or she is doing.
7. Never permit a child to play on the escalator.  Think of it as being as dangerous as a moving car.
8. Keep your young children next to you if you are shopping near an escalator.
9. Never take a stroller with a child in it on an escalator.  This can throw you off of balance.

Being aware of the dangers of this moving transportation object will help keep you safe on escalators.