When riding an escalator, clothing such as a skirt can get caught, causing a major accident. In some cases, it can become so serious that it can lead to a fatal accident.

In particular, in recent years, there have been more and more cases of unexpected trouble. The change in the fashion people wear and the increase in the number of elderly people walking around the city are likely behind this.

The other day, at Nakano-Sakaue Station in Tokyo, the skirt of a woman riding in front of me got caught in the escalator. She tried desperately to pull her skirt up, but it kept getting caught up. If it continued like this, it would be a major disaster, so I pulled her skirt up and she was safe.

I don’t mean to emphasize this, but I did this purely out of kindness. However, deep down, I was worried. If it was the other person, in a sense, I would be the one who got caught up in unnecessary trouble. It’s what they call a stumbling block. For example, they might say, “My skirt is torn. Pay for it,” or “How dare you touch my skirt without permission. That’s molestation.” Such concerns crossed my mind, and for a moment, I tried to ignore it and pass by. In fact, I almost passed her, but in the meantime she was getting sucked further and further into the escalator. Moreover, everyone seemed to be thinking the same thing as me, and they all passed by, splendidly ignoring her.
“What?! If she continues like this, isn’t she really in danger?” Unable to ignore her, I reluctantly grabbed her skirt and pulled her up. The skirt came off with ease.
Perhaps she had also felt her life was in danger, as she bowed to me several times with a look of relief. Her skirt also seemed to be unharmed. I left her as she bowed, and quickly left the scene. I decided that it would be best to leave before any hard feelings arose.
In this age of diversity and a strong sense of rights, even good deeds require a great deal of courage and are strangely nerve-wracking. This is why mutual aid is so difficult. (Kei Kitajima)

※Translating Japanese articles into English with AI