It's not official guidance, but rather an unwritten rule many locals in the Washington DC area live by: Stand on the right, walk on the left.
The message applies to riders using WMATA's more than 600 Metro escalators, and it's one frequently shouted at visitors and newcomers who unknowingly stand on the left side, blocking people trying to walk past.
The practice is intended to keep foot traffic moving, allowing riders in a hurry to walk up or down while others remain standing. It developed as a way to ease congestion in one of the nation's busiest transit systems, giving commuters a faster path through stations during rush hour.
The unwritten rule may not appear in Metro's official rider guidelines, but the transit agency has found another way
to get the message across.
See how Metro takes part in Netflix documentary trend
WMATA's July 28 post riffs on a popular social media trend in which people create mock "Netflix documentary" trailers that dramatically spotlight everyday annoyances or minor grievances as if they were the subject of a serious true-crime or investigative film.
"Getting ready for our documentary on people who stand on the left side of the escalators," WMATA wrote in the caption, offering the reminder as a "friendly PSA."
The video shows several people standing on the left side, with the transit agency blurring their faces to not completely shame them.
It's been viewed more than 90,000 times on TikTok and liked more than 40,000 times on Instagram, where commenters applauded Metro for calling out one of the region's most fiercely defended customs.
"Wait, can yall interview me?" one commenter said. "I have a lot to say on this topic."
"Lots of new / first-time metro riders recently who I been seeing doing this," another commenter said. "Been having to educate them."
Mike Stunson is a Washington DC-based reporter writing all things trending, breaking and DMV related for USA TODAY's DC Connect Team.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Watch Metro poke fun about unwritten rule in Washington DC area
