By Sasha Klemawesch – 

 

A recent article in the Annals of Emergency Medicine gave me both pause for thought and a good chuckle.

The researchers studied human behavior on escalators and moving airport sidewalks.

They observed that more than 90% of passengers in these conveyances failed to move by stepping or walking, despite having no one in their immediate path. Moreover, they observed fairly frequent startle responses when fellow “travelers” asked to be able to step or walk past.

A small percent of the time (10%), they observed individuals refusing to move over to allow passage. And in 3% of the time, persons actually stuck out their arms and legs to prevent passage.

Researchers named this – wait for it – “Transient Walkway-Induced Torpor (TWIT); and in cases seen on the moving stairways, “Escalator-Induced Extremity Immobility Obstruction (EIEI-O).”

Bet you’ll remember this when you ride your next conveyance.