The escalator in my local shopping centre are currently stopped, but still being used as stairs.

Does anyone else feel a bit off balance, initially, when stepping onto a stopped escalator?

Going from top to bottom seems to be worse.

yes, its horrificaly unsettling.

See also airport travelator things that are not moving.

Stumble along those like a drunk with a broken ankle.

I avoid at all costs!

Every time. You lean into it, and keep your foot high, to counter the thing moving, then fall forward when it doesn’t. Amazing how hard it is to teach yourself not to do this.

“It’s not moving it’s not moving, I know this, I’ll treat it like stairs and not look like a child learning to walk…” Nope! There you go again. 😀

is this a Michael McIntyre sketch?

The spacing is all wrong for walking.

is this a Michael McIntyre sketch?

No. It was an escalator I went on earlier.

I am, however, tempted to throw myself off the top of it. Given an observation I made has been twinned with the comedy stylings of every nan’s favourite comedian.

p.s What about those TV dinners, eh?

They’re both out in the Tesco Metro in town, and all traffic is diverted down one of them, it’s a bleeding nightmare, not only do you have to deal with the involuntary wobble, there’s no room to get past the people coming in the opposite direction.

actually, it lacks the visual “hilarity” of McIntyre.
it’s more John Bishop.

have you jumped yet?

‘s weird feeling, for sure.

Worse is our local setting the direction the wrong way. When you’re used to just absent mindedly walking onto the thing whilst shuffling through your bits and bobs it can seriously catch you out.

I reckon they do it deliberately and only first thing in the morning, record it on the CCTV and send it off to make a few quid or something…

Yes.

Time to go back up…

…and down again.

Stopped escalators are a top event for accidents, and operationally should be gated off when not in use. Where the step-plates change at top and bottom off the incline is extremely disturbing – especially if the escalator is at >30 degrees inclination.
If you want disturbing go into the UMC of a big escalator at a tube station 😯

As AP says, it’s also normally an issue with the length. A set of stairs needs a landing every xM’s in case someone trips, most escalators are longer than this measurement.