It’s pure desperation that makes people stroke the arms of strangers

It’s pure desperation that makes people stroke the arms of strangers, going in opposite directions on escalators. It’s supposed to be cringe-worthy, I get that. But it doesn’t entirely explain why anyone would touch a complete stranger, in front of the person’s partner, and risk being beaten up.

We should tell our children that people who try to fondle strangers in public, for shock value and viral engagement online, are on the butt-hole end of history. 

Some say it’s a sure sign the social order is breaking down. But the world is probably not going to end over the pathetic craze for escalator pranks. It’s just a symptom of a totally overloaded social media space.

I had an aunt with vertigo who couldn’t ride an escalator. When she did, she fell on top of the person in front of her. The mall had to call a doctor for her, and the man she landed on. They refused to compensate her for some complication, because they claimed she knew she suffered from the condition, yet she rode the escalator anyway.

Vertigo is not hereditary, so I’m perfectly okay, but I prefer stairways. I count my blessings, count the steps, and avoid eye contact.