Escalator

Years and years ago, I heard a story - probably an urban myth - about how a wooden escalator in New York collapsed under some people riding on it and how the mechanism underneath chewed up their legs.

It was one of those images that lurks around in your head and for many years I would remember it whenever I used an escalator. Not that I was ever scared; I didn't worry it would happen to me, it just always popped into my mind.

Then one time I was going on the Underground and I saw some guys repairing an escalator. I was quite interested in how it worked and so I had a good look and suffice to say that there were no fearsome metal teeth lurking in the mechanism.

Still, I remembered the story AGAIN, today, when I popped into Ikea. I didn't use the escalator, though; a chap in the warehouse told me a secret route along some corridors and up some stairs to get back to the departmnent that had what I wanted. It was oddly exciting!