The End of the World is Nigh ........

Confusion ? Chaos ? A complete breakdown of social order ? We regularly watch movies showing humanity in the grip of a zombie apocalypse but exactly how much (or how little) does it actually take to overpower the simple discipline required for a city to function normally ? The answer is that here in Seoul we may be living much closer to the edge than you ever imagined.

Here is a simple example; escalators. We see them everywhere, we take them for granted, they are a way of life. In the building next door we have two escalators, each wide enough to carry a single file of people. The two sets are built side by side, one going up, one going down. Just in case the motion of the stairs doesn't make it obvious, at the top, one escalator has a 'No Entry' sign, the other an 'Entry' sign, while at the bottom there are similar signs arranged oppositely. It is a simple system which operates successfully, 24/7 without incident, without supervision, requiring only the bare minimum of discipline from the users. 

If you think that this can not reveal anything about the fragility of social order then just watch what happens when the power to the escalators is switched off, just before lunchtime. This is what you will see next; mature, normally rational members of the public instantly transformed to Demented Mindless Zombies.

Escalators: the end of the world as we know it ?

The first group of people approaching the escalators veer towards the correct stair for their direction of travel but notice that the stairs are not moving, so they stop abruptly. The group consults amongst themselves what to do; showing that the combined IQ of the complete collective is required for the complex analysis of the options; to use the escalator anyway, to find the stairs, to find an elevator. 

Needless to say the popular combination of mini-skirts and high heels has long-ago frustrated the evolution of a woman who could actually climb stairs without revealing too much of her 'modesty'. Therefore an elevator is the only option for the women in the group.

Short skirts and high heels - ok for escalators but too risque for climbing stairs

However, before a decision can be made, a crowd forms behind the first group. At the opposite end of the escalator a similar crowd performs the same mind-boggling analysis. And now comes the tipping point: at each end of the escalator, the crowd is now so big and the indecision so paralyzing that people slip into DMZ mode and start overflowing onto both escalators in both directions simultaneously. 

Only when these people meet in the middle do they realise that they are on a single file stair but now have to squeeze past everyone who is clumping along in the opposite direction. The ensuing struggles are nothing short of heroic, especially for those carrying hot coffee, decorated cakes, bunches of flowers and wet umbrellas.  From the relative sanity of an overlooking fast food emporium, you quickly realise that this is the kind of entertainment you should be selling tickets to watch.  The stepwise erosion of social order could become a whole new genre of spectator sport - it's as simple as the flick of a switch.

Be afraid, be very afraid.