u/Carnationlilyrose

I live in Manchester and have noticed lately that there is quite a large number of shops with escalators which are regularly out of action. John Lewis in Cheadle has had non-functioning escalators for a couple of years at least now, and they seem to rotate which ones are being repaired. I asked a member of staff why it was taking so long and they said there was a shortage of spare parts.

I've been into the centre of town today and there were three shops with escalators out of action. I've also recently been to the Airport and the travelators in terminal 3 were closed off. I have heard that the travelators throughout the Airport are unable to be repaired, but I don't know what the truth of this is.

Is there a national (or even international) shortage of parts? During covid, it was very difficult to get some spare parts for cars. Is there a similar problem with escalators?

Edit: Thanks, everybody. It looks like I'm not imagining it. I'd like to think I'm getting fitter by using the stairs instead, but as a poster below remarks, sometimes (most times) I just don't bother going any further in the shop, not entirely out of laziness (although that's quite a big consideration) but also because the stairs are often hard to find in big department stores if you're already fed up.

Private, promoted to Corporal after the Battle of Monte Cassino, Wojtek, the Soldier Bear of the Polish II Corps, standing in formation.

Eva Perón died today in 1952 at 33. Her embalmed body, preserved with glycerine (to preserve all organs), went missing for nearly 20 years, traveling the world and ending up in the hands of an official with VERY creepy intentions.

On this day in 1979 Liberal Party Leader Jeremy Thorpe was acquitted of hiring a hitman to kill his gay ex-lover. The hired hitman was afraid of dogs, a Great Dane was shot, the ex-lover gave evidence and was called a 'Parasite' by the judge. Thorpe's wife stood beside him throughout.

Is there a nationwide shortage of escalator replacement parts?