Elevators are widely used in many places, especially in shopping centers or high-rise buildings. If you have ever used this type of automatic elevator, you will notice that there are two rows of thick, stiff nylon fibers on either side of the steps, similar to a long brush running along the elevator.
Many people think that these two rows of brushes are for cleaning shoes, so they often put their feet on them to clean them without knowing the real purpose of these brush bristles.
Many people still do not know the real purpose of the brush bristles along the escalator steps (Photo: Getty).
Specifically, these stiff nylon bristles, similar to a brush, are designed to reduce the risk of objects getting stuck between the steps and the side of the escalator. This brush bristles will shield and prevent the user’s shoes, sandals, dresses, and clothes from getting caught in the gap between the steps and the side of the escalator, avoiding serious accidents.
When the user’s feet touch this brush bristles, they will feel uncomfortable or as a warning that they are standing too close to the side of the escalator when moving. From there, users will stand away from this brush bristles to ensure safety. In addition to this brush bristles, many escalators also have yellow or red painted stripes on the edges of the steps as a warning for dangerous positions where users should not place their feet.
Some older generation escalators are not equipped with two stiff nylon strips on both sides of the steps, but instead have painted stripes to warn users of the foot placement area.
Placing your feet too close to the side of the escalator can lead to dangerous accidents (Photo: Reddit).
However, in reality, this brush bristles serve as a warning rather than a real shield. Many people still mistakenly believe that this brush bristles are meant for cleaning shoes, sandals, or even know their real purpose, but still deliberately put their feet into them when using the escalator to have their shoes cleaned. This is a dangerous action that can lead to serious accidents when using the escalator.
Video warning of potential accidents that can occur with children using escalators (Video: QQ).
There have been a significant number of serious accidents related to escalators, where the primary victims are children. Many mischievous children, when using the escalator, inadvertently or intentionally place their feet close to the side of the escalator, causing their feet to get caught in the gap between the escalator and the handrail, possibly causing severe damage to their feet.
Not only foot entrapment accidents, careless use of the escalator can also lead to other accidents such as loss of balance leading to falls, or if not paying attention, can get trapped in the upper floor…
Therefore, users must have safety knowledge when using escalators. Absolutely, children, the elderly, or first-time escalator users should not use the escalator alone, but should have someone accompany them for support, to avoid possible accidents.
And it is important to remember that the brush bristles at the bottom of the escalator are not intended for the purpose of cleaning shoes and sandals, but are warning signs for users to place their feet in a safe position when using the escalator.
According to Dân Trí