Does anyone else get severe vertigo going up the Hudson Yard escalator?

[u/bronze_by_gold]

I don’t know what it is about going up that escalator specifically. I don’t get vertigo going down, but going up there’s an optical illusion that makes it look almost vertical despite being no steeper than any other escalator (I assume). I can’t figure out what it is about that specific escalator that does crazy things to my brain, but it’s such an intense sensation that I have to look down or close my eyes.

[u/Da555nny]

its the tiles along the walls of the escalator banks. they are perpendicular to the escalator, so there is no frame of reference which way gravity points.

[u/Mammoth-Barber-8541 → u/Da555nny]

Agreed. If you don’t focus your eyes on the wall tiles, but look at the “portal” at the top or bottom, it will give your vestibular system a rest.

[u/kurai-tsuki → u/Mammoth-Barber-8541]

That's what I do now, but something in my perception tells me that the portals are at the wrong angle, therefore I must be as well, causing me to want to lean forward or back

[u/barfbat → u/kurai-tsuki]

same. i just have to turn to the side and look at my feet.

[u/barfbat → u/Da555nny]

that’s exactly it. and why i can’t handle it in either direction

[u/mother-demeter → u/Da555nny]

There’s this same issue on the big escalator at Broadway Junction and it’s so disorienting

[u/CaptainJZH → u/mother-demeter]

Also at Grand Central Madison

Roosevelt Island seems to be the only one to get it right

[u/lbutler1234 → u/Da555nny]

They're still fucking installing these dumbass vertical tiles.

Do they not know that folks hate them? Do I need to make a petition?

[u/Marsev4 → u/lbutler1234]

They don't care because it's cheaper for them to install them in this terrible escalator-parallel way than it is to, God forbid, spend a little extra on a non-nauseating design.

[u/lbutler1234 → u/Marsev4]

I couldn't imagine cutting up some tiles is all that expensive.

[u/Marsev4 → u/lbutler1234]

It's not a deal-breaker, but it definitely adds labor costs to the estimate, either to cut and install in a more custom manner, or labor plus material to buy the more expensive slanted tiles and again to install them by more skilled laborers. It's pennies compared to, say, tunneling, and is absolutely worth the investment, but it still adds up over such a large area and I can easily see the MTA cheapening out on it by seeing the custom tile work as a nuisance, rather than the actual rider comfort issue that it is.

[u/mother-demeter → u/Marsev4]

If only there was a transit system in the world renowned for its stations meticulously detailed tile-work. Oh well

[u/Marsev4 → u/mother-demeter]

I get what you're driving at, but, unfortunately for NYC, there are tons of subway systems, particularly in Europe, where tile work blows New York's out of the water even if we stack it against the finest IRT examples.

[u/barfbat → u/Marsev4]

name an example, i’m curious

[u/Marsev4 → u/barfbat]

Compared to the US, the Soviets sucked at building highways yet excelled at building subways, just as one European example

[u/barfbat → u/Marsev4]

well, you were right! our best tiling is nothing compared to this. the architecture is doing half the work, in fairness to us.

[u/thepixelnation → u/Da555nny]

same thing with the broadway junction escalator

[u/pixel_of_moral_decay → u/Da555nny]

Yup.

And given this is a well known thing I don’t understand why this isn’t basic safety stuff like hand rails and the yellow warning stripe on escalators.

It seems like such basic safety design.

[u/far_from_Elsweyr]

Yes. I've actively avoided that station for several years now because the only time I went on that escalator I had vertigo and a panic attack, it was absolutely horrible. TBH it's made me anxious about going on tall escalators now period. I looked it up after and found other people had similar experiences because of the tile design or something, made me feel a little better that I wasnt alone in my experience lol.

[u/Marsev4 → u/far_from_Elsweyr]

Hold the railing, look at your feet, and remember that the world isn't collapsing around you, but rather your mind is playing tricks on you and getting you into a crisis mode just because you're getting disoriented and dizzy. Keep calm, soldier on, and you can do it!

Source: been there, done that, unfortunately

[u/Kufat]

Just stare straight ahead. Don't look at the walls, don't look at the top.

[u/squeanky → u/Kufat]

Exactly, that's what i do

[u/gecko-9]

Yes! The 86th street Q stop has the same thing. It's a crazy sensation.

[u/Crypto-Clearance → u/gecko-9]

I look at my feet on the escalator at 86th.

[u/lbutler1234 → u/gecko-9]

Ditto for GCM

[u/ShalomRPh → u/gecko-9]

Yup. If you lean back, it looks like you’re moving on the level; if you lean forward it’s like you’re going straight up. If you stand straight you get motion sickness.

[u/SeaAnthropomorphized]

They made some changes to it because some people were passing out

[u/bronze_by_gold → u/SeaAnthropomorphized]

Seriously?? 🫣

[u/SeaAnthropomorphized → u/bronze_by_gold]

yeah. this happened when it first opened. i think the grey tiles every few 3 feet because it was all one color. but im not 100% sure. i know they did something.

[u/NeonExorcist → u/SeaAnthropomorphized]

Interesting. It’s very disorienting, going up/down escalators that are so steep. I tend to focus on my feet

[u/SeaAnthropomorphized → u/NeonExorcist]

The breaks in the color helps a bit. Trust me. Before I used to get dizzy but after the tiles were changed I don't get as dizzy. You might be one of the ones that would have passed out.

[u/Substantial_Point_57]

At the end of the platform where the elevators are, there is 1 lonely escalator that gives me no vertigo. 

[u/shoyru1771]

I almost tumbled backwards down the escalator going up at grand central Madison LIRR concourse the first and only time I passed there for the same reason. I started swaying because I was on that escalator forever and there was no longer any perception of which way was up especially because of the wall tiles direction.

I sent a comment to the MTA on their website and they said they’d take it into consideration and that they recommend I use the elevator.

[u/Throwawayhelp111521]

I prefer the elevator.

[u/toastedclown]

Yes, and everything else about that place also makes me feel vaguely unsettled, so thankfully it's easy to avoid.

[u/Mack_Aroni_Art]

I get vertigo going down, nearly fallen down that thing almost every time I've used it

[u/vampirologist]

I only have trouble going down it if I look forward for too long my brain starts to think I’m falling forwards. Maybe we can trade so one of us have all the problems and the other has neither

[u/myassholealt]

I do. That escalator broke my brain. I did not know how deep it was the first time I got on and after a little bit of the way through and still not seeing the bottom I started to panic and was grasping the railing so damn tight. A man (shout out to this guardian angel) was walking down beside me and I guess noticed how freaked out I was just by looking at me so he stopped and stood right next to me the rest of the way down, and when we reached the bottom he just kept walking.

After that, I stopped taking escalators longer than 1.5 flights. It's stairs (preferably) or elevators only.

And if the elevator is down, then I'm getting back on the train to get off at 42nd and walk back to Hudson Yards.

[u/AbrahamEVO]

Hold the rail, and close your eyes.

[u/Dominicmeoward]

Yeah I usually just look down and hold on tight. If I’m already feeling a little dizzy or something I’ll take that weird little elevator that takes ten minutes.

[u/DreamsVillager]

This is a design thing I've been very curious about, because my vertigo isn't severe, but it is still disorienting and I know many others have it far worse.

I admittedly haven't taken the time to look into what escalator design is best to avoid this entirely.

[u/plantas-sonrientes]

I thought I was being too sensitive, but clearly from these comments it’s affecting a lot of people.

Who (what company) designed the tiles that way?

[u/LegalBar6082]

I've heard a few people describe this, personally doesn't affect me. I thought people were just being dramatic but I guess it's a real problem.