Originally Posted by
Can I help you
If I had been the CSD and you were urgently needed upstairs I would have escorted you up there myself, there are rules for a reason but common sense should be used.
Indeed it does seem selfish in these circumstances your solution sounds the best. The only reason I could see them denying it is if the crew member believed there was a safety reason they couldn't use the stairs. Although I don't think there is a safety reason sometimes rumours spread (remember when some crew believed they needed to touch your mobile boarding pass on your smartphone to see if it was not a photo?).
I hope it was done because the crew thought they were doing the right thing rather than some power trip.