I don't remember my first encounter with an escalator but my younger sister's was not a comfortable experience for her. While going up the escalators at Westminster tube station last night I was reminded of just how uncomfortable this could be for young children.
It is half term and children all over the country have a week off. Quite a few of these children were out and about with their parents yesterday. In front of me on the escalator up towards the District line platform in Westminster station was a family of four- mother, father, daughter and son. The kids were aged probably between 6 and 10, with the girl being older. Each parent looked after one child as they approached the escalator- the father was with the daughter and the mother was with the son.
I was under the impression that the father thought his daughter more capable than she really was at getting on the escalator. He kept chatting to her as they approached the first step and then only realised that there was a problem when she refused to step on. This was the morning rush hour and a queue was building up behind them so he half pushed her onto the escalator. She turned back to look at her mother and brother with a worried look on her face. He gave her a bit more attention when they stepped off- putting his arm around her and talking her through getting off. As soon as she stepped off she shrugged him off, turned round to look at her mother and brother again and then walked off slowly with her hands in her jeans pocket, shoulders hunched up. Her father turned to his wife and said 'I think I've been sacked'.
The mother was a bit more careful with the son getting on and off the escalator and they negotiated this without problems. Note to self- be considerate when the time comes for sprog to learn how to use the moving stairs.
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