Originally Posted by JAXPax

Using these stairs isn't unheard of.... I've boarded Skyway flights a couple of times at DCA this way. American used to board MD-80s this way at JAX when one of their jetways was broken (which was for about a year)... down the jetway stairs, then up the tail cone stairs on the plane, which kinda sucked as First Class was the last to get off the plane in Jacksonville.

They are a little shakey, but I think only as bad as putting stairs up to the end of a jetway.