You are probably not the only person who must have cleaned their shoes on the brushes that run up each side of an escalator. But as you may have guessed, they are not created for that reason.

According to Buddy the Elf, a TikToker, escalators can be quite dangerous and scary for those who have never traveled on one of them before. Some of us might have even slipped and fallen on one of the hard stairs- which led to us getting stitches.

Therefore, one can assume that the extra dark nylon bristles attached to every escalator you walk on have a good reason behind them. The bristles actually work as a safety feature. While they probably won’t stop you from falling if you start running around, they will help stop any other accident from taking place. The safety brushes of the escalators help prevent one’s shoes or clothes from getting stuck between the moving stairs, as well as the balustrade skirt.

Simply put, if the brushes weren’t present, one’s clothes would get stuck- not something you want to experience. They also work as a psychological barrier. The moment one feels it touching their legs, they would move away immediately- preventing their clothes or shoes from snagging.

A TikTok account called ‘Untold Facts’ also mentioned, “One of the biggest reasons for escalator mishaps is people getting their clothes and bags stuck in them when they stand too close to the sides.”