Mirror

I fail to adapt to this herd behaviour Every work day I stand amazed and watch it. I stay aside as much as I can, I'm not a herd man. From a distance I wait till the crowd is gone.

It seems like there is little progress. It's hardly noticeable that the herd is getting smaller. Yet the grey mice keep waiting peacefully. There is a constant flow of people going up. With every step, the escalator nibbles from the herd. Everybody sees that there is yet another group of two that goes up. It gives hope. Every time the herd flows towards the created hole. It's like the escalator sucks slowly with a straw from a plate of soup.

I'm really amazed that this is all without rush. The herd doesn't push. Everybody waits till the escalator has nibbled away all mice in front of them.

The herd in front of me has left. I get upstairs too.

Upstairs a mirror herd is anxious to go down. It looks alike a mirrored version of the first scene, but no. This herd is far more impatient. Odd, as it is made up from similar grey mice as below. Their pushing limits the escalator to an occasional byte. The pushing is the cause of the jam.

The herd here does not see progress. The front mice disappear going down. Somewhere up front they vanish, without anybody seeing it. So, the herd is pushing by lack of overview.

Here is a free idea for our national railways: Get a mirror above the start of that escalator. The herd will see commuters going doing in twosomes. Pushing will stop, and the throughput of the escalator will increase.

Till next week!
Nut