18 Things We All Should Do (But Don't Because 'It's Weird')

11. Overtake People On Escalators

We overtake people on the road or pavement without a second thought, yet the minute we step onto an escalator we get consumed by a crippling social fear of moving in front of other people. It€™s a baffling social norm for there are no signs telling us we mustn€™t overtake, and presumably people wouldn€™t be too offended by the sight of someone walking past them, yet even if we€™re in a rush we content ourselves with doing that silent dance of frustration that makes us look like we€™ve wet our pants. It€™s not a good look, and therefore we should agree that it€™s ok to walk to the front of the escalator line without having to feel the kind of guilt normally associated with murder, nor suffer the social stigmatizing usually reserved for sex offenders.
 
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Feature and fiction writer based in the north of England.