A CCTV camera in a shopping centre in Uzbekistan captured the image of how people encountered difficulties in using the escalator.
The video shows Uzbek shoppers as they try to get to grips with an escalator for the first time – and luckily they seem to have a much better understanding of the emergency stop button.
In the first sequence, a brightly dressed mother approaches the escalator with her son, who is young enough to be only half her height.
She stands, apparently sizing up the moving stairs before gingerly stepping on – and almost immediately tumbles head over heels backwards.
Gallantly, her tiny boy – who, typically of the young, seems to have a much better grasp of the modern technology – holds her and stops her tumbling further until another woman can shut it off.
In the second sequence, three young women courageously step straight on to the escalator. But they immediately get into trouble.
They tumble into each other, trying to find their footing. One twigs that the key is to actually stop trying to walk and is carried away.
But her two friends are in a pickle, trying to escape the infernal machine and stop each other from getting hurt until a quick-thinking young man can hit emergency stop and they are able to walk up the now stationary stairs, as they are used to.
The third and final clip shows two old gents. The first, wearing a black jacket, steps on comfortably.
All seems to be going well for the first second until he tries to grab the handrail for support, then apparently changes his mind and tries to walk backwards.
He hasn’t noticed that a second man has embarked on the escalator behind him – and apparently had similar doubts.
The two men struggle with the moving stairs, close to disaster, until they are finally rescued – again – by the emergency stop.
[youtube HgitTigJnSA]
