Thank God for Health & Safety

I was shopping in John Lewis the other day, (I know - how very middle class), and was blessed with the opportunity to witness health and safety at its finest.

The down escalator was broken i.e. it was not moving. In addition to the large sign informing us of this fact, there was also a shop assistant standing at the top telling everybody that the escalator wasn't working. I went past this poor woman several times during the long hours that I spent in town (did I mention I was shopping with my wife?) and each time she dutifully informed me that the escalator was not working.

What did they think would happen when people encountered a broken escalator? Did they think we would all just stand on the top step waiting for it to move, getting all tangled up with each other?

Guess what? An escalator that doesn't move - is a staircase. Surely to God, we can all still use one of those without the help of the health & safety police!