I think it's fair to argue that regardless of how you spend your 40 hours a week making money it becomes difficult to turn off when you aren't getting paid. My job is no different and I can't walk through a mall without scanning for issues whether it be people with ill intent, people in need of assistance, or hazards. On my days off I do what everyone does and fill my time with what makes me happy and keeps me interested.

On this day I was at the local mall shopping with my wife. When I looked up, I could see a mother and two daughters around the ages of 8 and 10 riding down the escalator to our level about 50 feet in front of us. What caught my initial attention was the older of the two girls who appeared to be dancing near the bottom of the escalator while the mother shot her a look of disapproval, it seemed a bit harsh. They were all wearing long colourful sarees which were beautiful but maybe a bit too long to be practical and dragged on the ground as they walked. From my experience at work I thought that it was probably a bit risky to be wearing a long dragging garment while riding an escalator but to each their own.

Over the years I have seen my share of escalator injuries including broken bones, missing teeth, cuts and scrapes, objects (especially ladders) getting jammed between steps and the overhead ceiling, caught clothing, and of course footwear getting stuck between the steps and the side rails. This is especially common when people attempt to use the brushes which protect the side rails as shoe buffers and with of the worst footwear of all time - Crocks which due to the material tend to stick really well to both and steps and side rails tearing apart in spectacular and fashion leaving the foot exposed. Mitch Hedberg nailed it in his comedy routine when he said that escalators are great because they never go out of service, they just become stairs, but all these things have made me a little more cautious when riding them.

As they were stepping off the oldest girl stopped, turned around to face the escalator, and began screaming and I knew exactly what was happening as her saree got pulled into the combs and she began shrinking to keep up with it as it entered the void. The younger girl froze and the mother had an equally unhelpful reaction as she was left screaming and jumping up and down. I've been around long enough to know that fear affects people different ways and I don't blame any of them for their reactions.

I ran to them and shut off the escalator using the emergency stop button located on the hand rail, I could see that it was just the material caught in the combs and that it had been dragged in about 8 inches. I was relieved that she was alright, an article of clothing being dragged in is obviously dangerous because it causes a pinch point as it cinches down on your body but it can also cause you to lose balance and fall onto the collapsing steps. The girl was in good spirits and despite screaming seconds earlier and was already smiling and laughing. The mother took a bit longer to come around but after a few deep breathes she expressed her gratitude and begged me to free her daughter.

I have carried a pocket knife since I was about 14 years old and have been asked why countless times by people who don't carry knives, Well, it's not to cut clothing off people who get stuck in escalator combs but it did come in handy that day. I told her that I wouldn't be able to free the material without cutting it which was obvious but I wanted her to know that there would be a blade involved and that material would be damaged, she was fine with this. I was extremely nervous about scaring the little girl so I put on my biggest, friendliest, cuddliest customer service face as I told her what I was going to do and assured her that I wouldn't cut her with it. In hind sight It didn't seem necessary, she didn't appear to care. After a quick slash with my Opinel No. 6 she was free and my dreams of becoming a tailor and altering clothing were fulfilled. We exchanged pleasantries and they left to go buy a new saree.

That should have been it but I am a security guard after all, and I know what needs to happen when an escalator damages someone's personal property without causing an injury. I know this well because I have called the regulatory body many times and decided to help out mall security by phoning them and letting them know that a girl was stuck but uninjured, the escalator was turned off, the piece of clothing was still in the machine, and no names were collected. My wife and I continued on our way to get some free chocolate from the Lindor store and shop for things we didn't really need.

What did I learn? - Some people try to fight the problem, some try to flight the problem, some freeze, some freak out, some even try to fuck the problem (arousal from fear is a real thing). Some people can fix the problem but on any given day we might be any of these people. Also, carry a pocket knife, it doesn't have to be a Kabar. It's hard to not to do your job even when you aren't working.