However, for the citizens of one prefecture in Japan, they're no longer allowed to race up an escalator.

No walking, please!

Asahi Shimbun reported that Saitama (not the 'One Punch Man' character) prefecture became the first in Japan to enforce a no-walk etiquette on escalators.

The ordinance was reportedly passed on 26 March, and it now requires commuters to stand still on a moving escalator. The ordinance will come into effect beginning 1 October.

The reason for passing the ordinance? The rise in elevator accidents.

According to this report, Japan records roughly 775 escalator injuries a year, and between January 2018 and December 2019, the Japan Elevator Association recorded 805 cases.

The chief of policy affairs of the Liberal Democratic Party assembly group, Shinichi Nayashiki, was quoted in the report as saying that the public need to "alter practices that have become so pervasive as to be perceived as custom".

“The Tokyo-based association called on users to remain still and hold the handrail when using an escalator, saying the equipment is not designed to anticipate sudden movements," he was quoted as saying.

The ordinance would also require escalator operators to put up signages near the machines to remind riders to refrain from walking or running up the escalator.