Different sort of question - Stairways in UK

[Sequim88]

Now....a really different question that just occured to me while thinking of stairways to/from the Tube. I noticed once when in Australia that, like the UK, driving on the left side meant people tended to (but not always) walk on the left side of sidewalks. My wife is partially paralyzed on her right side so has to use the left handrail of stairways - the arm that works is on that side. In the USA this is awkward because everyone tends to bear right and she is going against traffic all the time on stairways.

 

Do people in the UK tend to use left side of stairways the same as roads or sidewalks? Or is the predominance of right handed people the driving factor for using the right-side handrail there as well as here?

 

It could be a real treat for her to not feel like a salmon swimming upstream if she needs to do a few stairs. ;)

[sddsddean]

The escalators on the tube all have signs saying 'stand on the right, walk on the left', so that (theoretically) if you are in a hurry you can run up the left side. Most escalators in stores etc often have these signs too. If you are travelling at 'off peak' times it shouldn't be too much of a problem to disobey this rule if its easier for your wife, but you may get a few dirty looks! On normal staircases there is no rule, so just stand your ground and hopefully the person coming the other way will move out of your way. A polite 'thank you' always helps too, though I don't know what sort of response you will get!

 

Simon

[giblert]

Now....a really different question that just occured to me while thinking of stairways to/from the Tube. I noticed once when in Australia that, like the UK, driving on the left side meant people tended to (but not always) walk on the left side of sidewalks. My wife is partially paralyzed on her right side so has to use the left handrail of stairways - the arm that works is on that side. In the USA this is awkward because everyone tends to bear right and she is going against traffic all the time on stairways.

 

Do people in the UK tend to use left side of stairways the same as roads or sidewalks? Or is the predominance of right handed people the driving factor for using the right-side handrail there as well as here?

 

Yes, people tend to walk on the same side as they drive. I notice it a lot with asian parts of Vancouver where people tend to walk (like they drive in most of Asia) on the left.

 

BTW, "Sequim"; Are you're originally from the Olympic Peninsula?

[Sequim88]

Not exactly. Most recently (before MN) from another hard to pronounce town in Wash. -- Puyallup. For a long time had set eyes on Sequim area for retirement (like so many others) but that may never be. I just like the idea of the rainshadow and the big blue hole. Now that oldest son and wife live in Seattle again it may be easier someday to convince DW to retire in that area. I was born in Seattle but moved away in high school then was back with my family for 8 years in the 90's. My heart will always be in western WA.

[Globaliser]

Do people in the UK tend to use left side of stairways the same as roads or sidewalks? Or is the predominance of right handed people the driving factor for using the right-side handrail there as well as here?

 

It could be a real treat for her to not feel like a salmon swimming upstream if she needs to do a few stairs. ;)

I've never really thought much about it, but I think giblert is right about the tendency in the UK.

 

However, it is only a tendency, and it's far from being a rule.

 

The rule on Tube escalators (and elsewhere) about standing on the right to allow people to walk up on the left is, however, based on the preponderance of right-handed people.

[Missus Makkem]

Now....a really different question that just occured to me while thinking of stairways to/from the Tube. I noticed once when in Australia that, like the UK, driving on the left side meant people tended to (but not always) walk on the left side of sidewalks. My wife is partially paralyzed on her right side so has to use the left handrail of stairways - the arm that works is on that side. In the USA this is awkward because everyone tends to bear right and she is going against traffic all the time on stairways.

 

Do people in the UK tend to use left side of stairways the same as roads or sidewalks? Or is the predominance of right handed people the driving factor for using the right-side handrail there as well as here?

 

It could be a real treat for her to not feel like a salmon swimming upstream if she needs to do a few stairs. ;)

 

If she has a problem whilst in the UK she can always use the lifts.

[Sequim88]

Thanks all. The original question was prompted by posts on another thread about the lifts at Tube stations frequently not working and the chance of getting stranded at a station without one. I can carry her wheelchair up the stairs if she can walk up. Not something we want to do all day but in a pinch it would work. Then the thought occured about the left-right thing.

[sddsddean]

Heres a link to pdf of tube stations with disabled access

http://www.metazone.co.uk/pdf/undergroundaccess.pdf

Now to be honest, there are very few in central London.This is because most of the system is 50 - 100 years old and it takes time and money to upgrade stations. If you look to the East you can see all the DLR and Jubilee line extension stations have disabled access as they were all built in the last 10 years or so. I think realistically you must assume in central London that you are going to have to use escalators on the Tube.

 

Simon

[belle907]

I think realistically you must assume in central London that you are going to have to use escalators on the Tube.

 

Simon

A lot of the escalators are very long and steep. Also, the 'teeth' (on the actual step you are on) on some of them are wide.

Just a warning, they aren't like going to the local department store and going up 1 flight.

[Globaliser]

The original question was prompted by posts on another thread about the lifts at Tube stations frequently not working and the chance of getting stranded at a station without one. I can carry her wheelchair up the stairs if she can walk up.

I hope you won't take this the wrong way, particularly as TfL has tried quite hard to make as much as possible of the Tube network accessible for people who aren't quite as mobile as the rest of us.

 

But if using a wheelchair would be the default position, then my advice would be that taking the Tube is probably not going to be very practicable for you. The Tube operates at very high pressure most of the time, and getting a wheelchair on and off a train is not really compatible with that. Trains do not stop at stations for long - my local station has a big sign at the driver's end, reminding drivers that the target dwell time at that station is 45 seconds. In addition, there are many stations at which there is a significant level change from the platform to the floor of the carriage - several inches, in many cases - and many platforms where there is a sizeable (several inch) gap between the edge of the carriage floor and the edge of the platform. Managing a wheelchair across these obstacles is problematic.

 

In addition, you'll find (as others have said) that where there is no lift, or the lift is out of order, you may have to use a moving escalator. I don't know whether this will be feasible for you, even if you can carry the wheelchair. The number of stations where you can get from platform to street using only stairs is very small indeed.

 

Moreover, you may find that there are many trains which are just too crowded to easily accommodate a wheelchair, even if it can fold up. You might just find the whole thing too frustating and even dangerous.