Escalators: The Safety BristlesThose brushes aren't for cleaning your shoes.
From the show
Why it looks like thatMost people assume the stiff bristles lining the sides of an escalator are a built-in shoe shiner. They are actually a critical engineering solution to "skirt entrapment." These deflectors provide a tactile warning to keep loose clothing, shoelaces, and feet away from the dangerous gap where the moving stairs meet the stationary wall.
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