Too Many Chutes, Not Enough Ladders

(The electricity went out for about thirty seconds in our department store. Shortly after the blackout, the following conversation took place.)

Customer #1: “It was weird how the power went out like that.”

Customer #2: “Yeah, but at least we weren’t in the elevator. Can you imagine?”

Customer #1: “Oh, yeah, that would have been pretty bad. But not as bad as it would have been on the escalator.”

Customer #2: “The escalator?”

Customer #1: “Yeah, just think of how scary that would be! The escalator loses power and then woosh!” *makes a hand gesture to represent stairs going flat, becoming a slide*

Customer #2: “Oh, yes, that would be awful!”

Customer #1: “I hope all the people who were on the escalator are okay.”

Customer #2: *shakes her head sadly* “Woosh…”