A tourist from the US was left utterly stunned after stumbling upon simple escalator etiquette that she claims “makes life so much easier”.
Hannah, known as @hesky on TikTok and boasting over 670,000 followers, was born in Venezuela but was raised in the US.
During her travels to Japan, she took to social media to express her amazement at the tidy way Japanese commuters navigate escalators.
She uploaded a video demonstrating people standing to the left side of the escalator and leaving the right side clear for those in a hustle.
Her reaction in the clip was: “Japan is so organised that on escalators, you stand on the left and if you’re walking fast, you go on the right side.”
Yet many online – including Brits – quickly chimed in, explaining that this was simply “basic courtesy” and “common sense” prevalent in most major cities around the world. Hannah’s TikTok video surged to over 2.7 million views and was also shared on X (formerly Twitter) with the caption: “Americans discovering social etiquettes exist in the rest of the world.”
One user said in response: “This exists everywhere.” A second pointed out: “We have this in London.” While another declared: “Ummm This is universal.”
A fourth wrote: “The US has become so dishevelled that a modicum of order blows American minds.” However, some Stateside dwellers noted that this etiquette is pretty standard in the US too. One person commented: “This is basic courtesy in any major US city metro system.” Another added: “This exists in Washington, DC on the metro as well. However the sides are reversed.”
In London, it’s common practice to stand on the right and walk on the left. According to the BBC, this practice might have developed as early escalator designs had a diagonal step-off meant for the right foot first – so standing on the right made sense.