Banggu is about to step on the escalator with one shoelace flopping loose.
When he says "It's fine!" Didi calmly walks him through the safety promises.
Both feet inside the yellow line, a firm grip on the handrail, no running… going through them once in advance makes you feel so much safer.
"Banggu, your shoelace is untied!"
"Banggu, your shoelace is untied!"
We were right in front of the supermarket escalator.
One of Banggu's sneaker laces had slipped loose and was dangling at his feet, so I quickly pointed down at it.
But Banggu just glanced at it and shrugged. "Huh? It's fine! I just need to ride the escalator up, that's all~"
Fine? It's not fine at all! I planted both hands on my hips. "No way~ When you're on the escalator you have to keep the safety promises and always be careful!"
Banggu pouted. "Aw, come on. Fine. But nothing's ever happened so far~"
Oh, that little daydreamer. I gently took hold of Banggu's sleeve. "Hold on! Let's check together if it's really fine, properly, shall we?"
An escalator floating right in front of us
We opened the "Escalator" story on WAGZAK JUMP.
And then a huge escalator floated up right in front of us!
The silver steps glide upward one after another, and the handrails on each side slip along at the same pace. Just like the real one at the supermarket.
Banggu's eyes finally went round. "Whoa, I've never seen one this close!"
I pointed at the steps with my finger. "Banggu, there are three promises for riding safely. Let's go through them one by one."
First, keep both feet inside the yellow line
Looking closely at the steps, you can see a yellow line drawn all the way around the edge.
"That's the safety line. If your feet go outside it, they could touch the gap on the side of the step." I traced the yellow line with my finger.
So you keep both feet neatly together, inside the yellow line.
When I tucked my feet inside the yellow line on the screen, they fit perfectly, and somehow it felt reassuring.
Banggu quietly brought his feet together too. "Oh, this line isn't just for show, huh?"
Second, hold the handrail firmly
On both sides, the black handrails glide along at the same speed as the steps.
"This is the handrail. You should hold it firmly, even with just one hand." I stretched out my hand and pretended to grip it.
If the escalator suddenly stops or jolts, holding the handrail keeps you from falling.
When I held the handrail tight, it stuck right to my hand and carried me up with it. It felt so safe.
But Banggu wasn't holding the handrail — he was just staring at his phone. He even leaned his body out to the side a bit.
I quickly tapped his arm. "Banggu, that's dangerous! If you let go of the handrail and look away or lean out, you can totally lose your balance."
Banggu sheepishly tucked his phone back into his pocket. "…Okay, I'll hold on."
Third, no walking or running
The last promise is the most important one.
"You shouldn't walk or run on the escalator. The steps are already moving, so all we have to do is stand still and wait."
Banggu tilted his head. "Why? Wouldn't it be better to go faster?"
"The steps are already moving, so if you run on top of them, it's really easy to miss a step and fall. And the people behind you can fall too."
That made Banggu go quiet. Even if you want to get there faster, standing on one step and waiting until you arrive is the safest thing to do.
Feet tucked inside the yellow line, a firm grip on the handrail, standing still all the way up — putting the three together really did feel solid. Not as hard as you thought, right?
Oh wait, Banggu, what about that shoelace?
Just then I looked down at Banggu's feet again. That loose lace from earlier was still dangling there.
"Banggu, what do you think happens if you ride with the lace untied?"
The screen showed it: if a long, dangling lace touches the gap in the steps, it can actually get caught. Yikes — that would be really bad!
