What are those little brush things on the side of escatators for?

Question

When i say brush things, i mean that little thing that looks like a brush on the bottom below the handrail. The only reason I can think of is that the shine people's shoes, but do they have a different purpose?

Answer 1

It's a safety feature.

Skirt brush -- a long continuous brush made of stiff bristles runs up the sides of the escalator just above the step level. This helps keep loose garments and curious hands away from the dangerous gap between the moving stairs and the side panel.

Answer 2

What are esca-tators? With little brush things? And a handrail? So you can brush your teeth while eating tators? and the handrail is for not dropping the hot tator? How about this: why would you brush your shoes with a tator? Even an esca-tator? What is an esca-tator? I like tators.

Answer 3

im not an engineer nor a technician but i think those brush are used to reduce friction in moving metal parts

Answer 4

Well i clean my shoes with them but they are there to reduce friction so your pants or shoes dont stick to the metal when rubbing up against it

Answer 5

Actually, I have never seen these things, as many times as I have rode escalators...

Thanks for pointing them out, I will have to look for the next time...

I wish you well..

Jesse

Answer 6

Keep objects from falling into the stairs.

Answer 7

i always thought they were to get the dust off peoples shoes

Answer 8

to keep gunk from getting into the mechanism of the escelator

Answer 9

no lol its to take the dirt off the escalator stairs

Answer 10

it is to keep dirt and debris from getting into the gears and from keeping it from breaking down