Like any Londoner we enjoy giving 'papertickets' (people from outside the Zones) a firm 'stand on the RIGHT please'. We enjoy it so much we have been known to only walk down the escalator because we can see someone standing on the left up ahead... That's fine when it's once or twice a week, but it's getting out of hand now. What's the problem? What is hard to understand? Stand on the right and walk on the left. It's easy to remember because it's the opposite of what we do on roads, where we keep left, which is what the signs tell you to do in tube station areas, except where they specify to keep right.
Oh, and if you're not clear, the escalator rule applied to ALL escalators and moving walkways in the Greater London area, plus all the London airports, and is absolutely not limited to TfL escalators (we're looking at you, Selfridges people...).
We consulted our hodgepodge of international friends to create the cut out and keep guide on how to instruct visitors to the fair city on this most basic of laws. Please help us with additional languages in the comments. Londonist accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of these statements (because we don't trust all of our friends not to put one over on us) nor any liability for events following their use... Now all you have to do is make a rash judgement about where someone's from (from behind) and you're good to go!
Arabic: Lo samaht waqif ala yameenak
American: N/A - you likely can't get past due to our slim escalators.
Binary: 011100110111010001100001011011100110010000100000011011110110111000100000011101
Cantonese: Mm goi kay yau bin
Catalan: Estigues a la banda esquerra, si us plau
Chinese (Traditional): 請於右側站立 / qĭng yú yòu cè zhàn lì
Chinese (Simplified): 请靠右侧站立 / qĭng yú yòu cè zhàn lì
Cockney: Put your plates on the Isle of Wight when on the moving apples
Czech: Stujte v pravo prosim
Danish: stå til højre, tak
'I watch BBC4 so I can totally speak Danish' Danish: Birk Lassen Statsminister, Tak Tak Troels Hartman. Hygge.
Esperanto: bud sur des dekstr placx
Greek: Σταθείτε στα δεξιά παρακαλώ / stathite sta dexia parakalo
German: Rechts stehen - links gehen, bitte!
French: Merci de vous tenir à droite
Hebrew: תעמוד בצד ימין / taamod betsad yemin
Hungarian: Kérem álljon a jobb oldalra.
Italian: Tenere la destra, prego!
Japanese: 右側に立てください / Migigawa ni tate kudasai
Klingon: Qam Daq nIH!
Latin: ad latus dextrum sta
Morse: ... - .- -. -.. —- -. - .... . .-. .. —. .... -
Polish: prosze stać po prawej
Romanian: Staționați pe dreapta
Slovenian: Postavite se na desno stran
Spanish: Permanezcan a la derecha, gracias!
Swedish: Stå på höger sida
Urdu: Seedeh, haat peh kheré hojayeh
Welsh: Sefyll ar y dde / Please don't be scared of the moving stairs, can I help you get back to Paddington?
