Gothamist: Fatal Fall from Shea Stadium Escalator

CaptJanks

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:40:48 -0500

a lawsuit of what????

gatoguts

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 20:00:35 -0500

why was the escalator turned off? certainly could be the basis for a major lawsuit

Spiritof76

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 19:24:59 -0500

I've actually never seen a escalator that wasn't crammed between two walls. Wow. Somebody doesn't get out often. They're in pretty much every mall and department store I've seen. Not to mention plenty of other places like the Trump Tower atrium, Time Warner Center lobby, etc. Come to think of it, I can barely think of any that are crammed between two walls.

CaptJanks

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:03:57 -0500

why don't we wipe the fan's asses while we're at it? spoon feed them and baby them. Shea should do all them because we need to assume fans are basically dorks that don't know how to properly navigate a flight of stairs without falling over.

eyekantspel

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:21:19 -0500

40 years of stadium. 81 games per year... call it 40 million people in that stadium total and 2 deaths? You can't plan for freak accidents. You can certainly plan against this kind of fall, whether it was an accident or a case of stupidity. Erect a barrier to prevent going over the rail, or something to catch a person who does. It's not exactly rocket science.

JacqueMehoff

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:13:54 -0500

could drunken horseplay been involved? I found it odd that the kids and spouse couldn't give any details. none at all. nor anyone else. ok, he fell, how? down the stopped escalator? over the sides? could happen if some drunken pushing and shoving were involved.

jaja007

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 13:42:27 -0500

There is a safety net around every dangerous object in the world. It's called common fuckin sense...

brooklynbs

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:58:03 -0500

I was at the game last night, but left before this incident occurred. The odd thing is that I walked down a non-moving escalator to leave the stadium, something I rarely do because I get vertigo looking down at the escalator steps when they're not moving. I actually tripped as I stepped onto the escalator and called myself an a-hole under my breath for not using the ramps, which were ten feet away. I was also on the field level, so it wasn't like I was going far. Had I fallen, however, I'm not sure it would have been physically possible for me to go over the side. More likely, I would face-planted or smacked into the side and tumbled down the escalator stairs (then stood up and yelled, "Ta-da!"). Most stadiums turn off the down escalators once the game has started. It's pretty common place. I don't remember the last time I left a stadium and the down escalators were on. The operations folks at Shea should chain off escalators that are not in operation. Problem solved.

jaycjay

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:00:29 -0500

"I call bullshit on this. Escalator railings are made of rubber. Frictionious rubber. Ever tried to slide down one? I have. you can't." I've never tried it, but I've seen people do it many times.

CaptJanks

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:45:16 -0500

Either he leaned over the rail, slid on the rail or someone pushed him off. Either one of those things.

TKaisen

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:44:19 -0500

but what were the designers thinking when they built a free-standing escalator that would permit such a fall, Hm... 40 years of stadium. 81 games per year... call it 40 million people in that stadium total and 2 deaths? You can't plan for freak accidents. I think the designers did a pretty good job.

Tim N.

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:32:33 -0500

Everything I've read here adds up to nonsense (except for the postings, of course!). Someone is not telling the truth. Either the guy was acting like a clown (hard to imagine in front of his kids unless he's a jerk) or the escalator did something dangerous that caused this. Otherwise, we'd hear just what happened, not all this speculation. Long crowded escalators that suddenly stop are very dangerous, but usually because people fall forward or crash into folks at the bottom, not because people fall over the side. Stay tuned... this was someone's fault...

CaptJanks

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:24:21 -0500

why can't people follow simple directions? Use the friggin ramps. The escalators are CLOSED. so this nudnik decides to take the route of the CLOSED escalator: 1) because nobody's using it 2) because it's empty it's the fastest way down without all the people 3) he can have fun sitting on the rails Now he's bloody exploded mess.

sakebalboa

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:18:42 -0500

"I call bullshit on this. Escalator railings are made of rubber. Frictionious rubber. Ever tried to slide down one? I have. you can't. unless shea stadium has super smooth railings or something." See the thing is you can get a decent start, maybe a few inches of speed on the initial hop onto the rail but when the rubber stops your butt suddenly the rest of your body is still moving. So i can see how someone could tumble over the railing if they were attempting to ride the rubber.

matukonyc

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:18:09 -0500

After a game, Shea shuts down all of the escalators, and people are supposed to exit using the ramps, so I don't think the escalator was "malfunctioning," but rather turned off.

bornbrednewyorker

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:12:46 -0500

rodmur that's totally not true. The family came out against that report. The escalators at Shea have always been dangerous. I'm surprised that this doesn't happen more often. I walk the ramps because I have never felt safe on them. Good riddance to that dump and condolences to the family.

eyekantspel

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:04:57 -0500

I don't support stupid lawsuits, but what were the designers thinking when they built a free-standing escalator that would permit such a fall, especially in a stadium where people are going to get drunk and rowdy?

Politburo

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:02:51 -0500

One of the articles had a claim that the non-working escalator "suddenly jerked". If true, that could explain things. What I don't understand is why there are so many unknowns.. weren't there a bunch of other people using the escalator? Surely they would be able to corroborate any 'sudden jerk'.

babyhitler

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:00:46 -0500

I call bullshit on this. Escalator railings are made of rubber. Frictionious rubber. Ever tried to slide down one? I have. you can't. unless shea stadium has super smooth railings or something.

edEx

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:42:05 -0500

people need to take accountability for their stupidity. while this is a tragic event that could have been avoided, we all know that his family will now sue shea for millions...

Dan Dickinson

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:40:13 -0500

depends, if you fall down escalators that are going up you might fall for a longer time. I smell Mythbusters fodder. And while this is a tragic event, I still can't mentally work out how someone would trip on a non-moving escalator and fall over the side. Was he exceptionally tall?

JMH

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:34:17 -0500

That's awful.

GOP

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:31:32 -0500

I guess I should stop sitting on the railings of escalators. Who knew they weren't for sitting. Who knew?

Neil Epstein

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:27:21 -0500

Wow, this is awful. I always fear that last escaltor to the Upper Deck (since its so long) and specially this weekend with my near three year old. They should really have glass panes around them or something - if not for accidents like this, but for people looking to jump.

TJ

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:21:25 -0500

You know what they need to do? Build a new stadium! oh wait ...

rodmur

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:16:34 -0500

Sounds like he was trying to slide down the elevator. Which is too bright of a thing to do.

sakebalboa

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:16:07 -0500

#8 depends, if you fall down escalators that are going up you might fall for a longer time.

HowBoutDemCowboys

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:08:31 -0500

"How the hell does someone trip and fall over an escalator railing? I don't get it." Me either. Shouldn't it be just like falling down steps... only quicker?

nivek

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:07:54 -0500

This is usually why you try not to make ridiculously long escalators.

carl_sagan

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:06:52 -0500

Was he wearing crocs?

JP Lynch

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:06:46 -0500

This is not anyone's fault but a tragic accident. Sometimes people fall and bad things happen.

Reality Czech

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:01:48 -0500

How the hell does someone trip and fall over an escalator railing? I don't get it.

smitty

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:01:48 -0500

Sad!

babyhitler

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:25:47 -0500

How the hell could he be sitting on the railing if it was a non-working escalator? That escalator looks crazy dangerous. I've actually never seen a escalator that wasn't crammed between two walls. this is totally the mets planning division's fault.

jgee

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:21:24 -0500

I know it is the people's fault for sitting on the railing but couldn't they install some kind of "safety net" around the escalator?