Stand on the right (escalators)

Neutral Polite

What it really means

On London Underground escalators, you stand on the RIGHT side and leave the left side free for people walking. Blocking the left side is one of the fastest ways to annoy Londoners.

Chinese explanation

在伦敦地铁的扶梯上，站立的人靠右，左侧留给赶路要走动的人。站在左边挡路是最容易惹恼伦敦人的行为之一。

Example conversation

A: Excuse me! Coming through! B: Oh sorry, I will move over. A: Cheers. You stand on the right here, walk on the left.

A：借过一下！ B：哦抱歉，我让开。 A：谢了。在这里右边站立，左边通行。

What you could say back

“Sorry, I will keep to the right.”

Related phrases

Let passengers off first The Tube Way out

Official sources

Rules and amounts change — confirm important details with the official source.

Go deeper

Using UK Public Transport: Trains, Buses and the Tube

All Transport

Reviewed by the UK Decoded editorial team · Last checked 24 July 2026 · Report a mistake