Today I am enamored of

WOODEN ESCALATORS.

How cool are wooden escalators. I saw one for the first time yesterday in Wynyard train station, central Sydney. I stepped onto the escalator and immediately noticed that it was not only very noisy but also appeared to be made of wood. I bent down to touch it and confirm this suspicion and it was indeed correct. The rest of the way up, I continued to thoroughly investigate this wonder, reconfirming at least once that the steps were actually made out of wood, and peering over to see if the down escalator was the same! (It was!)

As you may or may not know, escalators make me uncomfortable. Somehow when I was quite young I heard stories about people (children specifically) being horribly maimed by escalators, and my vivid imagination led me to believe that they were unpredictable and dangerous, likely to lead to bloody dismemberment! It was a fullblown fear when I was a child, and for years after I was old enough to understand that no, escalators would not eat me if my foot touched the point of steps-going-under, I continued to go out of my way to avoid them.

But this wooden escalator. It looks much friendlier. Its teeth are bigger, which somehow makes it seem a bit less sinister. Its wooden rumble is really quite cheerful. Its age and lack of blood stains (bound to be obvious and enduring on wood!) made me feel safe.

How awesome are wooden escalators?