Page 50 - Labelle Gramercy, On the Case

Thrown for a Loss

Labelle frowned slightly. Women in positions of authority had to
get used to challenges from males who felt threatened. This little fact
of life was part of our training, not as much ‘sensitivity’ as
‘insensitivity’ training. So it had to happen all the time to
policewomen, as well. I felt certain she would brush it off and move
on. Wrong again.
“Aren’t all the escalators in this building Imomushi model 9900?”
Waylon blinked. “Uh, yes. I believe that is correct.”
“Then you know that extremely sudden emergency stops are
typical of that manufacturer’s product?”
“Well, now, I couldn’t say that. Haven’t seen the specs on all the
others.”
Was she taking pleasure in turning the tables on him? That would
be unprofessional. I had to keep from grinning as she lectured him.
He seemed to lose an inch or two, after having puffed himself up
with what he assumed would be superior information.
She went on, not missing a beat. “But you must be aware of the—
voluntary, admittedly—standards set by the American Society of
Mechanical Engineers concerning escalator safety. The emergency
button must be on the right side, and the sidewalls should have a low
coefficient of drag to minimize the chance of soft-soled shoes getting
caught. The sensors at the top and bottom skirts detecting
obstructions and automatically shutting off the escalator must be
working. The maintenance records will confirm that.”
“No doubt,” muttered Waylon, wanting to put in his two cents
worth but finding himself a couple of pennies short.
“The problem with escalators is the wide variation in braking time
and distance. It’s not a question of noncompliance, as no uniform
standard exists. And companies can make an argument either way. I
have seen an older Ishimukade—model 1200, if memory serves—
with a relatively high speed of 120 feet per minute. When the brakes
were hit, they took over 45 inches to stop the unit in the down
direction. That is a good two feet longer than the allowable skirt-
switch-to-comb distance and would cause anyone near the bottom to
risk being trapped. Of course, the longer braking distance would also
be less likely to throw people off their feet—a point of pride for that
manufacturer. The entrapment danger is not mentioned in their sales
brochure.”

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