It was wet and rainy when I headed out for work this morning. Already running a little late, and plugged into the pod, I wasn’t paying a whole lot of attention as I headed down the green steps to the trolley stop. On the third step, I slipped. The combination of rain, dirt and greasy road grime made the steps really slick and it caught me. There was a moment where I was sure I was going to fly down the entire flight of stairs, but thankfully, my tush took the brunt of the fall, and I only traveled a couple of steps. The woman at the top of the stairs saw me fall, and stopped to make sure I was okay, and I was. Except for a couple of bruises (both psychic and physical) I was fine. The palm of my left hand stung in a way I remembered from childhood, and the back of my pants were soaked, but nothing was broken.

But it got me to thinking about the state of those stairs. In the rain they become really dangerous. It’s been awhile since I’ve ridden the trolley or the subway in the snow, but I imagine it isn’t much better then. What about the elderly people who are regular Septa riders? Or those with physical impairments? Slick steps don’t exactly encourage access. The very least they should do is put some black grip strips on those stairs, to ensure secure footing. But I know Septa, so I know it won’t happen.

Related posts:

1. Bloody Trolley Steps
2. Private Trolley Ride
3. Trolley Stairs
4. SEPTA Shutdown Shocks…well, no one.
5. Septa Fare Changes