LEGIONS of late-running air travellers know the phenomenon all too well. The person in front of you on the travelator is walking maddeningly slowly. Have a little sympathy, though: it’s not their fault. People naturally slow their pace when they step onto a moving walkway, as the story on page 11 explains. Using the travelator will save a tired traveller energy. But if your flight is already boarding, avoiding a crowded walkway could be the difference between making that flight and going nowhere. You might be better off just running for it.
The great moving walkway issue solved
Millions of late travellers have wondered whether to hop on a moving walkway to save time – now locomotion researchers have found the answer