Found out the hard way how long it takes to clear a dead escalator

Went to an old mall outside Cleveland last month. Huge three level place, completely abandoned. Escalator was jammed solid with debris and old ceiling tiles. Thought I could just kick stuff out of the way and walk up. Nope. Took me 45 minutes just to clear a path wide enough to get through. Had to pull out rotted carpet strips and broken glass one piece at a time. Then a metal panel fell off and wedged the steps tighter. Another 20 minutes of prying with a tire iron. Next time I'm bringing a crowbar and a flashlight with good batteries. Anybody else ever get stuck on a broken escalator longer than they expected?

2 comments

2 Comments

elliotadams9d ago

Did you check if the emergency stop was still engaged?

julia_patel9d ago

Ngl I totally thought e-stops were just for show until I saw one save a guys arm last month.