Just had an interesting and mildly annoying experience in T5 to EDI. Flight slightly delayed so had a long wait in the pre-boarding pen. Finally agent comes over and starts up the escalator. So I go to take the normal stairs as I tend to do (have to get those steps in!) I would have been first down the escalator so no question of passing anyone.

Fun begins when gate agent insists that I can’t use the stairs. He claims there is a new policy due to a spate of accidents which forbids the use of stairs and all passengers must use the escalator. I just laughed and got on the escalator. Seems a bit farfetched that 20 years after the terminal opens, all of a sudden people are regularly getting maimed and falling to their deaths on the stairs. BUT only the stairs at boarding gates. All other stair cases are fine, I know this as I defied death earlier today coming down the stairs into the baggage hall. This policy must be new as I took the stairs last week to get on a flight to Geneva. Not the end of the world, but he was pretty obnoxious about it and obviously lying. Anyone else had this experience?