Escalator Question
 

Why does the rubber handrest portion of an escalator always travel just a wee bit faster than the treads on which you stand?

I can understand that the rubber handrest has to travel a further distance than the metal treads (circumscribes a larger arc) so that it's not easy to perfectly match their two relative speeds. But if it was truly random that the handrest and treads travel at independent speeds and can't be match perfectly, then it should be about 50:50 whether the handrest was faster or slower. Yet it seems that the handrest is always just a bit faster. How come?

You have too much time on your hands. J/K

Don't know, but a great observation. My guess is that it is to help people pull on and off the escalator. Especially going up. Does it do the same going down? I'll bet its slower on the down one.

Up, down, left, right. The handrail is always faster.

Maybe a little too much time on my hands right now. I'm at a conference in San Francisco. This afternoon's lectures are all duds to me. But between the airport, hotel, and convention center, I've been riding on lots of elevators these past 2 days.

In my experience it is always a little faster (the handrail) up and down.

I was on an escalator in Korea at the Hyundai department store. I was gripping the handrail and kind of stretching my arms and accidentally slid the entire handrail about six inches along its travel! Several people holding the handrail nearly lost their balance and fell. I'd have really felt bad if someone got hurt, but it never occured to me I could slip that thing.

Yes, but was that forwards or backwards?

Maybe it travels faster so you fall forward (if you are so inclined).

Ian

It's on the same motor as the treads, but the handrail has to travel a slightly longer distance, so relative to the axis of the motor, it is spinning faster than treads.

Is the angular speed any faster??

What is the air speed velocity of a swallow carrying a 1lb coconut?

Maybe wear/no replacement in the sprocket makes the diameter smaller/faster?

They are supposed to be in sync....

Why do some handrails on Metro escalators move faster than the stairs? - Washington City Paper

Jim Gaffigan, the Hot Pockets comedian uses that in one of his stand-up routines.

Escalator needs a a limited slip diff. SmileWavy

I have never been on one that had the stairs in sync with the rail. I was checking one out one time at the airport - it was being worked on. I asked the tech that question along with a few others. I figuered he was union and was going to milk it any ways. He showed me that they drive motor was the same but they were geared separtely. Also that flip flops and kids don't fair well in them things either do old people with long shoelaces...

If a plane is on the escalator, will it take off?

How does the Doppler effect play into it though?

Are African or European escalators faster?

Tadich's Grill is only about 6 or 7 blocks from the convention center

Sears Fine Food is about that far too, most excellent breakfast repast.

Actually, I was wondering more about the Coriolis effect.