Trolleys On Escalators... Near Disaster!

[Northpoint]

My stupid fault but I did have a trolley issue going from the 2nd to 3rd level where I forgot to release the brake as the trolley left the mobile trolley ramp, it stopped on the landing, I was still moving and I neally went arse over it.

I always use the escalators to move my trolley no matter how dangerous it looks. I have done so for years. I like the challenge and the thrill it gives me. I do the same in department stores and never had a serious accident. I am quite skilled at it after all those years and I still get a thrill from manouvering the trolley full of luggage down the escalators and I like the admiring looks from people watching. If I had the time and the resources I would like to take up base jumping as well.

[surface]

I almost got taken out the other day when a lady was using the escalator with a full cart. Either the brake was broken or she didn't know how to use it, but she and her cart came barreling down the escalator at me and I had to "catch" it as there was nowhere to go. Luckily her young children were "up hill" from the cart else they would have been creamed.

Edit: Perhaps if they used the system the supermarkets have in place this wouldn't be a potential disaster waiting to happen (if a disaster hasn't happened already).

Edited July 19, 2008 by surface

[fft100]

The people who say that it is obvious that trolleys dont work on escalators havnt been to FRA,NRT,GVA,KLIA to name a few.

Nearly all airports where trolleys are NOT designed to go down escalators have poles in front to stop them, because when you look at a trolley it isnt immediately obvious whether it is escalator designed or not.

Interestingly, in frankfurt station last week someone tried to take a trolley down the packed escalator (which i was on). Unfortunately, the station escaltors are not designed for trolleys. Maybe luckily the escaltor was full, so when the bags started falling off (with the person desperately hanging on to the trolley), then didnt fall that far before hitting someone.

[Digger]

I waited to see if others were using it

Granted, the airport could use more / better signage, but;

When you saw that no one else was using it, why didn't you follow them to the correct escalator or an elevator?

Genius, when people arrive at the airport, from long flights, most are walking around in a daze. It really shoudln't be the arriving passenger's responsibility, at that time, to evaluate signage, trolley design equipment, placement of elevators and escalators, and evaluating if there are different types/designs/categories of escalators. And logic would tell me the escalator in the IMMEDIATE area of the arrival exit would be the one to take to go downstairs. I did find the elevator, and there was a big line of people with trolleys waiting to get into it (probably holds one trolley at a time). That's when I gave up, and walked over to the WRONG, but NEARBY escalator... you know, the one with NO SIGN, just like the OTHER one, that also had NO SIGN.

I'm not making this up. I imagine a few hundred people a day tumble down that escalator, and no one does anything about it. The steep escalator is NOT designed for the trolleys... it is VERY DANGEROUS for the trolleys to be used on it. I guess the airport design people are spending too much time figuring out how to fit in more shopping areas in the airport, rather than how to safely get people down one level with a trolley.

That sounds about as stupid as putting up barriers across a road at the terminal - just in case some clown tries to cross without looking and realsing too late that cars use roads.

Seriously funny but you need to look at your own shortcomings before blaming everyone else.

[fft100]

Digger,

out of interest, how do you tell, looking at the trolleys in Suvarnabumi and say FFM, ZRH and elsewhere which ones are designed for use on escalators and which ones arent ?

[pampal]

The people who say that it is obvious that trolleys dont work on escalators havnt been to FRA,NRT,GVA,KLIA to name a few.

Nearly all airports where trolleys are NOT designed to go down escalators have poles in front to stop them, because when you look at a trolley it isnt immediately obvious whether it is escalator designed or not.

Interestingly, in frankfurt station last week someone tried to take a trolley down the packed escalator (which i was on). Unfortunately, the station escaltors are not designed for trolleys. Maybe luckily the escaltor was full, so when the bags started falling off (with the person desperately hanging on to the trolley), then didnt fall that far before hitting someone.

The airports you mention above are in the minority, not the majority, so it's safe to say that most airport escalators cannot handle trolleys. If you don't know whether you can take a trolley on an escalator, ask someone who can tell you. Common sense really.

[elkangorito]

The people who say that it is obvious that trolleys dont work on escalators havnt been to FRA,NRT,GVA,KLIA to name a few.

Nearly all airports where trolleys are NOT designed to go down escalators have poles in front to stop them, because when you look at a trolley it isnt immediately obvious whether it is escalator designed or not.

Interestingly, in frankfurt station last week someone tried to take a trolley down the packed escalator (which i was on). Unfortunately, the station escaltors are not designed for trolleys. Maybe luckily the escaltor was full, so when the bags started falling off (with the person desperately hanging on to the trolley), then didnt fall that far before hitting someone.

And here am I thinking that "common sense" prevails. Oops...it should be uncommon sense, since so few people have it.

Would you drive a car in the bush & would you expect it to survive after going over rough terrain? If your answer is no, apply the same logic (if you have logic) to the trolley/escalator question.

[soic]

My biggest worry is getting stuck on the escalator. I was on one recently in Dubai and for some reason it stopped. I was stuck for almost 30 minutes. People passed by on both sides and no one helped me. All I got was evil stares and some people laughed at me. No one airport staff member came over and attempted to help me. There was no warning sign, or intercom warning system. Finally a friendly Thai lady stopped by and told me that it was ok to actually walk on the escalator, with and without power. It as a very frightening time in my life....

[pampal]

My biggest worry is getting stuck on the escalator. I was on one recently in Dubai and for some reason it stopped. I was stuck for almost 30 minutes. People passed by on both sides and no one helped me. All I got was evil stares and some people laughed at me. No one airport staff member came over and attempted to help me. There was no warning sign, or intercom warning system. Finally a friendly Thai lady stopped by and told me that it was ok to actually walk on the escalator, with and without power. It as a very frightening time in my life....

:D

[elkangorito]

My biggest worry is getting stuck on the escalator. I was on one recently in Dubai and for some reason it stopped. I was stuck for almost 30 minutes. People passed by on both sides and no one helped me. All I got was evil stares and some people laughed at me. No one airport staff member came over and attempted to help me. There was no warning sign, or intercom warning system. Finally a friendly Thai lady stopped by and told me that it was ok to actually walk on the escalator, with and without power. It as a very frightening time in my life....

Are you for real? Are you Weho with a different nickname? How is it that you have actually managed to live so long? Were you given instructions at every juncture of life?

Or are you shit stirring?

[SeaVisionBurma]

My biggest worry is getting stuck on the escalator. I was on one recently in Dubai and for some reason it stopped. I was stuck for almost 30 minutes. People passed by on both sides and no one helped me. All I got was evil stares and some people laughed at me. No one airport staff member came over and attempted to help me. There was no warning sign, or intercom warning system. Finally a friendly Thai lady stopped by and told me that it was ok to actually walk on the escalator, with and without power. It as a very frightening time in my life....

Are you for real? Are you Weho with a different nickname? How is it that you have actually managed to live so long? Were you given instructions at every juncture of life?

Or are you shit stirring?

Just a wild guess elkangorito, but I think soic might have been joking. Again, this is only a wild guess....

Are YOU for real???

[soic]

My biggest worry is getting stuck on the escalator. I was on one recently in Dubai and for some reason it stopped. I was stuck for almost 30 minutes. People passed by on both sides and no one helped me. All I got was evil stares and some people laughed at me. No one airport staff member came over and attempted to help me. There was no warning sign, or intercom warning system. Finally a friendly Thai lady stopped by and told me that it was ok to actually walk on the escalator, with and without power. It as a very frightening time in my life....

Are you for real? Are you Weho with a different nickname? How is it that you have actually managed to live so long? Were you given instructions at every juncture of life?

Or are you shit stirring?

I was kidding... it really is common sense. carts, baggage, incline and gravity. There aren't signs telling people not to walk down an up escalator and I never see anyone having problems with that.

[TheDon]

I arrived on a flight at the new airport, put my luggage on a trolley, which had those plastic things on the bottom, I've seen all over the world, that can go on escalators. I exit the customs area, and need to go down one level to get a public taxi. There is a DOWN escalator right there, but it just didn't look right... it was a regular looking escalator, kind of like in a department store, rather steep, and no sign FOR or AGAINST trolley usage. I waited to see if others were using it, and got impatient... I started to put the trolley on it, and some nice person RAN and screamed NOT to use that escalator with a trolley, I needed to use a different escalator, not a steep one, but one of those long, gradual ones... I found it, again, no signage FOR or AGAINST trolley usage, but there was no problem.

I imagined in my mind someone putting a child on top of some luggage, putting them on the WRONG escalator, with NO SIGNS, and the whole thing immediately tipping over, and flying down about forty feet. What kind of idiot wouldn't put a sign there? And as I indicated, the STEEP escalator was RIGHT next to the arrival exit area, that most people would immediately head for.

Awful.

Common sense should have been used here, there is no sign about dropping your trolley over the rails either

[JerryO]

I arrived on a flight at the new airport, put my luggage on a trolley, which had those plastic things on the bottom, I've seen all over the world, that can go on escalators. I exit the customs area, and need to go down one level to get a public taxi. There is a DOWN escalator right there, but it just didn't look right... it was a regular looking escalator, kind of like in a department store, rather steep, and no sign FOR or AGAINST trolley usage. I waited to see if others were using it, and got impatient... I started to put the trolley on it, and some nice person RAN and screamed NOT to use that escalator with a trolley, I needed to use a different escalator, not a steep one, but one of those long, gradual ones... I found it, again, no signage FOR or AGAINST trolley usage, but there was no problem.

I imagined in my mind someone putting a child on top of some luggage, putting them on the WRONG escalator, with NO SIGNS, and the whole thing immediately tipping over, and flying down about forty feet. What kind of idiot wouldn't put a sign there? And as I indicated, the STEEP escalator was RIGHT next to the arrival exit area, that most people would immediately head for.

Awful.

Common sense should have been used here, there is no sign about dropping your trolley over the rails either

what if you' are travelling on a flight from Zurich to Bangkok; you see clear signed instructions at Zurich airport and lots of people putting the trolley on the escalators all over the place; then ten hours or so you arrive in Bangkok. you're tired. you just want to get to your hotel. you see what appears to be the identical trolley as you just used in Zurich airport a few hours ago, so you head straight for the escalator with the trolley at bangkok airport. then, crash, it comes tumbling down and rams into an unsuspecting child at the bottom and the child is killed by the out of control luggage trolley.

so a kid is dead, and some of you have posted earlier that it's just "common sense". i would guess in a sue happy place like the usa, the dead child's parents would make millions in a negligence lawsuit. but i see, it's just "common sense" that some of you think everyone has. i have news for you: very few people have common sense. as is indicated by some posters here.

actually 'common sense" would be having clear signs rather than having dead children.

[jdinasia]

LOL .. I guess you missed that this was both a wind up AND the OP has been banned?

[JerryO]

LOL .. I guess you missed that this was both a wind up AND the OP has been banned?

whats a wind up? were people forced to post in this thread by point of gun or did they post of their own free willl? probabl y a good thing the op was banned; like how dare someone actually point out something that is obviously dangerous

[JerryO]

dont want to give anyone any bad ideas, but since those bkk airport troleys are so dangerous, coudn't someone at the top of the escalator, who is in the P.A.D fling it down on approaching military troops below, kind of like how King Herrald of the Israelites kept the Roman army away for a hundred years, at Masada?

i'm praying and lit a candle that we get a peaceful resolution without troleys used as weapons.

[skippybangkok]

dont want to give anyone any bad ideas, but since those bkk airport troleys are so dangerous, coudn't someone at the top of the escalator, who is in the P.A.D fling it down on approaching military troops below, kind of like how King Herrald of the Israelites kept the Roman army away for a hundred years, at Masada?

i'm praying and lit a candle that we get a peaceful resolution without troleys used as weapons.

They are used as "road blocks" on the roads leading to the terminal.... pretty goo block with all them wheels, i guess a APV or tank would have a real task with such a hurdle !

[JerryO]

dont want to give anyone any bad ideas, but since those bkk airport troleys are so dangerous, coudn't someone at the top of the escalator, who is in the P.A.D fling it down on approaching military troops below, kind of like how King Herrald of the Israelites kept the Roman army away for a hundred years, at Masada?

i'm praying and lit a candle that we get a peaceful resolution without troleys used as weapons.

They are used as "road blocks" on the roads leading to the terminal.... pretty goo block with all them wheels, i guess a APV or tank would have a real task with such a hurdle !

thanks god; if the dangerous trolleys are being used as roadblocks , then they can't harm people on escalators for the moment.

this is good news for to those who care about safety ; i wonder if that was the plan of the pa.d all along; to get the escalators safe

[FarangFatal]

Bull, they uses the same wheel and groove system that is in place in many many supercenters... You have to be smarter than the cart! Koa Jai Ting Tong Farang!

[JerryO]

Bull, they uses the same wheel and groove system that is in place in many many supercenters... You have to be smarter than the cart! Koa Jai Ting Tong Farang!

that's is the problem; the carts are smarter. too bad the airport signage peopleare shirking off their responsibilityt o protect the stupid.

[JerryO]

looks like mr. weho was right; just came back from the airport and there are signs now but not real clear. something about "there are two kinds of trolleys, one for the escalators and one kind not for the escalators". too bad they didn't show a picture of the one to use or not to use. at least they tried right?

[JerryO]

sorry to keep bring up this tired old topic (which does fascinate me!) but i was at the airport last week, and they now have people stationed at the start of most orf the escalators/travellators warning people and grabbing the wrong kind of trolley, and there is also another kind of sign warning about what weho was complaining about .

so i suppose the airport uber bosses at least recognized the problem.

[NanLaew]

And now they are phasing in COMPLETELY NEW trolleys with absolutely NO mention whether they can go on escalator, travelators or elevators, the lawyers (not to mention the ThaiVisa armchair travelers) are gonna have a field day with all these dead kids and flying baggages at Suvarnabhumi!

[infernalman7]

This is the best thread ever! I thought it's only in Cambodia where you can find people who don't know that you cannot use trolleys in the steep escalators. LOL.

[Crossy]

How did I guess this thread would be bumped upon the arrival of the new trolleys at the airport, sadly Weho is no longer with us to contribute.

This is the best thread ever! I thought it's only in Cambodia where you can find people who don't know that you cannot use trolleys in the steep escalators. LOL.

Actually, if you go to KLIA they have trolleys that CAN go on the stepped escalators, they have teeth on the bottom that engage with the steps, a really odd feeling if you're not used to it.

Wonder if the new ones at BKK are of similar manufacture.

[Sunderland]

I reckon Thaksin didn't come back to face the courts because he was so worried about those dam_n escalators at Swampy Airport. I mean, with all the luggage he'd be carrying back in it would be a multiple pile up at the bottom of the infamous escalator without signage. It could even lead to allout war ...

[manjara]

I guess you need to rely on old-fashioned common-sense - if there isn't a sign.

I guess we're really on our own, and should allow a few extra hours at the airport, so we can spend time evaluating equipment for safety issues. Perhaps we should request partial refunds for those outrageous airport fees they charge, since we're not getting our money's worth, as I would think a reasonable judge would agree that there should be signs for things relating to safety.

Examining that philosophy further and projecting your logic, all Thai taxis should have suitable signage warning you about the driving standards ( see yesterdays post ), the pavements would need signs everywhere owing to their trip hazard etc etc in fact there would be so many signs they would need signs to warn you not to read too many signs as you might not see where you are walking and fall down an escalator, especially at the airport. Have you tried travelling by boat instead and giving the airport a miss ?

That would be dangerous; there are no signs saying that you should only attempt to step off the boat when it is docked! Why they don't make it clear that you are likely to drown if you walk off when the boat is at sea, I don't know!

[hhgz]

"ll these dead kids and flying baggages at Suvarnabhumi!"

How many kids have died due to misused trollies since the airport opened? Zero. Thanks for playing. The lovely Vanna White has some parting gifts for you.

[ozzieovaseas]

Missing Thailand and came to the forum today to cheer up!!

Boy has this thread worked, I cannot believe it lasted so long but it has made me laugh. Before I upset anyone, not at the thought of someone tumbling down the escalator but just some of the thread content.

Why would anyone drunk or sober clever or stupid put kids on top of their luggage then compound it by attempting to push it down or up an escalator ?

I'm sure even the most stupid amongst us would realise that the kids may suddenly dissapear at speed, but at least you may still keep the trolley stable and hopefully avoid causing a potential 10 cart pile up.

I sense a business opportunity for one of the more clever members out there for the mass production of a trolley safety harness.

I happy to admit I qualify as stupid but even I know that my children young or old are only of use for sitting on suitcases when I can't close them.

Considering the dangers that lurk (or should i say walking around) at Swampy, maybe you should be locking your children INSIDE your cases while there

Honestly, good job we have flight attendants to check for stairs before these people get out of the plane