This is how stupid society is becoming.

[Incorruptible]

...

Owned, the little crying bitch phokus has had his hypocrisy exposed, You going to go cry now

 

[sm625]

If you're headign up an escalator and it stops moving, which of these two choices seems more rational:

1) Simply start walking up since that is the direction you are going, and you are physically capable of out-stepping a downgoing escalator (come on who hasnt walked up a downgoing escalator just for fun?)

2) Stand there with your thumb up your butt wondering why the people at the bottom arent moving?

 

[Blackjack200]

Assuming I wasn't disoriented, which almost anyone would be if the escalator they were standing on reversed, I think I would handle it as follows:

If I'm near the top - climb up the stairs and get off at the top

If I'm in the middle - get off the escalator to the side, on that metal separator. There will be people above me coming down and the people below me are confused and probably piling up at the bottom. Don't want to be in the middle of that

If I'm at the bottom - Pray? And I'm atheist. The people at the bottom have the least time to react, they will be caught between the people trying to get on and the ones on the steps above them who will soon be on top of them.

I did enjoy the OP and responses that expressed confidence that they would be cool and collected. Those idiots would be the first to break their necks.

 

[Darwin333]

LMFAO!!!!!

Do yall see the idiots still trying to walk up it and even better doing it at what appeared to be a rather casual pace. Yeah.... gonna have to move your ass quite a bit more than that if you plan to beat that sucker to the top.

I can see why some of the people on the top of it would freak considering the newscaster said people were getting trampled at the bottom but I agree with the OP. Ride the sonofabitch down and move the fuck out of the way like you would any other damned escalator and get your lazy ass to the stairs. Lazy bastards were probably waiting for it to reverse again and wanted to be first in line or some dumb shit.

 

[Darwin333]

I wouldn't laugh at them, they were probably trying to stay out of the pile of dumb people at the bottom that wouldn't move back.
I want to bet that is how most of the injuries happened, people at the bottom mindlessly trying to go forward into a group of people coming down the escalator.

You make a good point but for the sake of hilarity I am going to keep on assuming the dumbass was just wondering "ummm, why am I not going up... I want to go up dammit not down!!!"

 

[DougK62]

These people don't strike me as idiots. That place was packed with people, so a force ramming everyone together can certainly be a problem. This isn't your local mall on a Wednesday, this is the NYC subway.

 

[Darwin333]

But the larger point, the point you're obviously missing, Matt (because you're a fucking retard of the highest order) is that there is massive racism in employment all over in a market economy and that's why conservatives FAVOR it. You're not seeing the forest for the trees (because you're a fucking retard).

Wait, are you saying conservatives favor a "market economy" (I assume you mean free market) even partially because it helps them further their racist agenda?

 

[Darwin333]

It's funny, because there is something that is just as (if not more) stupid as the people in the video. Whom you ask? The people that deem this worthy of reporting on

Thank you liberal media, PLEASE CONTINUE TO FEED US THE RED PILL THAT WE NEED TO FEAR THE ESCALATORS. EVIL ESCALATORS. BE ON THE LOOKOUT!

I really really hope that my sarcasm meter is broken.

 

[zinfamous]

Hey, it could have been worse. The escalator might have just stopped moving, trapping those poor people for hours!

"Escalator temporarily stairs. Sorry for the convenience."




But you know, viewing through the safety of a youtube video is one thing. Sure, this looks stupid to us, but I wonder what happens when any random baller ATOTer, texting LOLcat pictures to their facebook chums, oblivious of the world around them as they happily ride the treadmill 1 story up to fatville is unexpectedly put in that situation? When typical crowd dynamics kicks in, the one or two people around them suddenly panics about something unexpected, how the crowd of oblivious numbskulls will react on instinct to the immediate and panicked response of the few around them. How their sudden panic will effect others, and so on.

the response to laugh at this is certainly warranted--it looks funny. But it's even funnier when you realize the very same capacity to react in such a "foolish" way is so hard-wired into our common reptilian brain that each and every one of us has the exact same capacity, and expectation, to react in that way when put in that situation.

After all, too look at this video is to see the human traits that survived millions of years and made us so alarmingly successful: fear, flight, survival. You all have it. Bask in it.

 

[Baked]

Payday! File a lawsuit against the city for millions in mental trauma damages.

 

[zinfamous]

Why can't people record video horizontally? That's the bigger grievance here.

You just gave me a brilliant idea,

I'm going to design an app and call it "HD video!" and make it available for free.

It will have some cool snazzy windows and maybe a few filters or gamma corrections for people to fiddle with so they think they are actually doing something...but here's the real kicker:

It shuts off the camera if the phone is held vertically. It will not record video unless you turn the phone sidewise. That's really all it does. I will make it free, and market it to all hall and create so many fake reviews and ratings that everyone will eat it up blindly so that slowly, but surely, these idiot masses will unknowingly be prodded into making watchable video clips.

 

[Moonbeam]

Matt, you should never say that other people are stupid till you've walked in their shoes had know factually, that you would react differently in exactly the same situation. It is very important for a real Christian to practice humility and to leave judging others up to God. Your thoughts should be on wishing nobody was hurt seriously. But you know this so why start the thread? Know that I don't judge you for your reasons, but am thankful you don't go around exterminating stupid people. I would not last long in such a world. You?

 

[Phokus]

Largely does not equal total you blubbering asshat.

http://www.270towin.com/states/New_York

The last Republican President they voted for was 28 years ago and had only a single term Republican Governor since 1974. But go on, keep doing what you have to do to convince yourself that NY Business Owners are Republicans.

1/3rd of New Yorkers are Republican you bitch idiot, somehow i doubt 1/3rd of new yorkers are business owners.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_New_York

Are you saying Northeast Business owners like higher taxes and regulations now? That's a laugh.

Even liberal NYC votes in Republican mayors. But that or your 'point' about governors has nothing to do with the larger point: There is tremendous racism in the market for hiring.

Again, you are a tremendous fucking retard who can't see the Forrest for the trees.

 

[Darwin333]

You just gave me a brilliant idea,

I'm going to design an app and call it "HD video!" and make it available for free.

It will have some cool snazzy windows and maybe a few filters or gamma corrections for people to fiddle with so they think they are actually doing something...but here's the real kicker:

It shuts off the camera if the phone is held vertically. It will not record video unless you turn the phone sidewise. That's really all it does. I will make it free, and market it to all hall and create so many fake reviews and ratings that everyone will eat it up blindly so that slowly, but surely, these idiot masses will unknowingly be prodded into making watchable video clips.

I would be more than happy to help you out with the reviews.

 

[Darwin333]

1/3rd of New Yorkers are Republican you bitch idiot, somehow i doubt 1/3rd of new yorkers are business owners.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_New_York

Are you saying Northeast Business owners like higher taxes and regulations now? That's a laugh.

Even liberal NYC votes in Republican mayors. But that or your 'point' about governors has nothing to do with the larger point: There is tremendous racism in the market for hiring.

Again, you are a tremendous fucking retard who can't see the Forrest for the trees.

First, I would like to point out that the insults you throw around serve only to hurt your point and do nothing to help it.

With that said, are you saying that all business owners are racist republicans or even just non-racist republicans? If so, how exactly does the DNC and all of its candidates get campaign funding?

 

[zinfamous]

I would be more than happy to help you out with the reviews.

cool.

Hey, do you know anyone that knows dick about coding? I sure don't!

 

[Matt1970]

1/3rd of New Yorkers are Republican you bitch idiot, somehow i doubt 1/3rd of new yorkers are business owners.

Damn son, you don't even know when you are proving yourself wrong.

 

[alkemyst]

I bet most of the above posters would have been screaming like little girls.

 

[yehness]

lol

 

[werepossum]

"Escalator temporarily stairs. Sorry for the convenience."




But you know, viewing through the safety of a youtube video is one thing. Sure, this looks stupid to us, but I wonder what happens when any random baller ATOTer, texting LOLcat pictures to their facebook chums, oblivious of the world around them as they happily ride the treadmill 1 story up to fatville is unexpectedly put in that situation? When typical crowd dynamics kicks in, the one or two people around them suddenly panics about something unexpected, how the crowd of oblivious numbskulls will react on instinct to the immediate and panicked response of the few around them. How their sudden panic will effect others, and so on.

the response to laugh at this is certainly warranted--it looks funny. But it's even funnier when you realize the very same capacity to react in such a "foolish" way is so hard-wired into our common reptilian brain that each and every one of us has the exact same capacity, and expectation, to react in that way when put in that situation.

After all, too look at this video is to see the human traits that survived millions of years and made us so alarmingly successful: fear, flight, survival. You all have it. Bask in it.

I've never been on one that reversed, but I have been on one that stopped dead, in an airport. A surprising number of people merely stood there. Highly aggravating when you're carrying luggage and trying to catch a connecting flight. I've also gone up the down to catch a child; it's not terribly difficult to out-walk an escalator with a bit of effort. But even though I've never been on one that suddenly reversed, it doesn't seem like the kind of thing to trigger my fight or flight reflex.

 

[notposting]

Would have been better if the cop had tazed the videotaker for portrait orientation filming.

 

[Braznor]

Its quite possible for people to be startled out of their wits in such an unexpected situation. Such a happening, even for a couple of seconds just or so can cascade into a panic attack amongst people in an unorganized crowd. An escalator can be a dangerous place to lose one's sense of direction and balance, even it lasts for just a few seconds.

 

[NAC]

Based on the video, I fail to see anything wrong with how folks reacted. Folks in the middle walked up to avoid crushing anyone behind them, and others jumped onto the divider. Folks getting on at the bottom can't easily get out of the way because there are dozens of people behind them moving forward. A few minor injuries is practically unavoidable in that situation.

I've been in that subway many times, I used to work in the building right across from it.