Deccelescalieration

Deccelescalieration: noun. A term denoting the phenomenon of people slowing down at the end of an escalator, causing complete havoc and destruction. Previously thought to be a myth, deccelescalieration has been scientifically proved by researchers from Hong Kong who devoted countless hours riding on some of the longest moving staircases in the world. They found that as the journey to an escalator's end draws to a close, it takes people 2.6 seconds (which is coincidentally the reaction time of a munchkin) to realise that they will have to walk, after which most of them do so. This delay is the reason why the average space between escalator travellers shrinks, building up tension that may eventually lead to death by trampling.