10 DC Metro Tips and Tricks Tip #1: Stand to the Right

Wheaton station's escalators (pictured here) are the longest single span escalators in the Western hemisphere. Photo by Theadana

During weekday mornings, Metro's main use is for commuters who are late for work. During the late afternoon, the system becomes crowded with riders eager to get home after a long days work. Many of your fellow travelers, during these times, are in a rush to get from point A to point B, and standing on an escalator is just too darn slow.

To accommodate the daily migration of riders anxious to get through the system, an unwritten, but well known rule has emerged: stand on the right, walk on the left. Metro's escalators are wide enough for two lanes of traffic, and in DC, locals know that the left side is for moving traffic, and steady flow. Many riders' biggest pet peeve is the group of tourists, large of small, who are innocently ignorant of this essential law of the land.

While you aren't likely to get honked at or see rude gestures, as you may on the Capitol Beltway, the natives are likely to feel their skin crawl if their way is obstructed. If you are visiting Washington DC and riding on the Metro, you can make everybody's day a little bit brighter by following Tip #1, and standing to the right, leaving the left lane for those who wish to hike up Metro's endless escalators.