Lifetime Stair Count

[Cole]

do you think your lifetime stair count is dead even, in the positives, or in the negatives.

way I figure it, it would be extremely hard to be dead even. up the stairs but down the elevator? or vice versa? or even up the stairs down a slide?

I'm not gonna make a poll because I feel like this is more of just a discussion thing.

for me: I do wonder how close I'd be to even, I have a slight fear of elevators, so I'll often take the stairs up and down. but of course I've been on plenty of slides, and I do go up the stairs and down the elevator more than I do the reverse, I'd imagine.

thoughts?

(to answer the first question, yes, I am.)

 

[shortkut]

Definite positive for stairs. My middle school was up the equivalent of 8 floors of stairs. No elevstor. I went up and down a minimum of twice a day each for 3 years… plus all my other schools were multi-floor

That and stairs are typically faster than elevators for 3 stories or less

 

[Mark]

do you think your lifetime stair count is dead even, in the positives, or in the negatives.

way I figure it, it would be extremely hard to be dead even. up the stairs but down the elevator? or vice versa? or even up the stairs down a slide?

I'm not gonna make a poll because I feel like this is more of just a discussion thing.

for me: I do wonder how close I'd be to even, I have a slight fear of elevators, so I'll often take the stairs up and down. but of course I've been on plenty of slides, and I do go up the stairs and down the elevator more than I do the reverse, I'd imagine.

thoughts?

(to answer the first question, yes, I am.)

The first part I’d like to bring to this discussion is my childhood home. It had 13 steps. One day, I walked down those steps for the last time, would that leave me at uneven number going forward even if every set of stairs were evenly numbered after that? The stairs at the house I spent the latter half of my life at home had 15 steps.

The second part I’d like to add is step stools or step ladders. They’re not transitioning you to another floor, but they are, in fact, elevating you to reach something previously inaccessible from the ground you stood on.

 

[Jawneh]

I'd say for us longer legged folks, it's fairly normal to pace up two steps, but coming down it's stepping down on every step.

But regardless of that, I've definitely climbed up way more steps than down. Many times in my childhood I used to jump down a flight of stairs to the middle section and then jump again to the bottom. Even as high as jumping down a flight of about a dozen while grabbing the railing, and also just sliding down. And that thing you can do to "slide" down steps if you get your feet right? Done that a lot too. I wouldn't count that as stepping. Though, at my house I go up steps two at a time and down every step, so that will be slowly, but surely counting my down steps closer to even, but I think my childhood has racked me plenty up steps for the rest of my life.

 

[Crystal]

Must be odd, I've absolutely gone up stairs and down an elevator, and vice versa. Hmm...no idea!

 

[Cole]

Definite positive for stairs. My middle school was up the equivalent of 8 floors of stairs. No elevstor. I went up and down a minimum of twice a day each for 3 years… plus all my other schools were multi-floor

That and stairs are typically faster than elevators for 3 stories or less

The first part I’d like to bring to this discussion is my childhood home. It had 13 steps. One day, I walked down those steps for the last time, would that leave me at uneven number going forward even if every set of stairs were evenly numbered after that? The stairs at the house I spent the latter half of my life at home had 15 steps.

The second part I’d like to add is step stools or step ladders. They’re not transitioning you to another floor, but they are, in fact, elevating you to reach something previously inaccessible from the ground you stood on.

I think maybe I explained wrong because I think you're both looking at it a way I didn't intend.

It's not about total number of stairs, its about them cancelling each other out.

Up 20 steps to the 2nd floor, down 20 steps = 0.

Up 20 steps to the 2nd floor, down the elevator = +20.

Up the elevator, down the stairs = -20

So for shortkut, assuming you went up the 8 flights as often as you went down them (and didn't like, jump out a window), then all those stairs equal 0, they equaled out.

For Mark: same thing, it wouldn't really matter to your first question. You went *UP* them the first time, and down them the last time, that equals 0 (again, assuming no window escapes or other means of egress.)

@Jawneh has it right, and a hot take no less, skipping steps for us tall people. I skip them often going up, but not nearly as often going down. Sure maybe as a kid I'd jump down a small flight, but not super often.

 

[Benzine]

I have definitely descended more stairs than ascended, not even close. Mostly due to choosing to go up the elevator.

I have worked in a building with a slide. I'd take the elevator back up usually though.

 

[TD]

I've always tried to take the stairs when possible - even when living on the 11th floor of an apartment. I tend to take the elevator most when I'm with other people, it's often both ways. Sometimes, they'll take the stairs down if they're impatient. Sometimes I'd take the elevator up after really exhausting work days.

...so I'm definitely on the more stairs down than the even side.

 

[Mark]

I think maybe I explained wrong because I think you're both looking at it a way I didn't intend.

It's not about total number of stairs, its about them cancelling each other out.

Up 20 steps to the 2nd floor, down 20 steps = 0.

Up 20 steps to the 2nd floor, down the elevator = +20.

Up the elevator, down the stairs = -20

So for shortkut, assuming you went up the 8 flights as often as you went down them (and didn't like, jump out a window), then all those stairs equal 0, they equaled out.

For Mark: same thing, it wouldn't really matter to your first question. You went *UP* them the first time, and down them the last time, that equals 0 (again, assuming no window escapes or other means of egress.)

Yeah, you definitely broke my brain, then… I kept trying to think about it more after I had replied, and couldn’t even come close to determining whether or not I’ve broken even. There are simply too many variables… skipping steps, as @Jawneh pointed out being another that I didn’t take into consideration. I’m gonna have to present this to my shorter counterpart and see what she has to say for her short limbs.

 

[shortkut]

I think maybe I explained wrong because I think you're both looking at it a way I didn't intend.

It's not about total number of stairs, its about them cancelling each other out.

Up 20 steps to the 2nd floor, down 20 steps = 0.

Up 20 steps to the 2nd floor, down the elevator = +20.

Up the elevator, down the stairs = -20

So for shortkut, assuming you went up the 8 flights as often as you went down them (and didn't like, jump out a window), then all those stairs equal 0, they equaled out.

For Mark: same thing, it wouldn't really matter to your first question. You went *UP* them the first time, and down them the last time, that equals 0 (again, assuming no window escapes or other means of egress.)

@Jawneh has it right, and a hot take no less, skipping steps for us tall people. I skip them often going up, but not nearly as often going down. Sure maybe as a kid I'd jump down a small flight, but not super often.

Then in that case, who knows because taking stairs down should not be the same as taking an elevator down. Stairs down should still add to your stair count, since you are actively using your muscles to change elevation instead of passively in an elevator.

That being said, probably slightly more stairs than elevators

 

[TD]

Stairs down should still add to your stair count, since you are actively using your muscles to change elevation instead of passively in an elevator.

I think the intent is to determine if you have a tendency to go up stairs more or down stairs more, rather than how hard you're working your muscles as a result.

Both stairs up and down requires muscle, but they are different muscles groups and the tendency that most people have for going down as opposed to up I don't necessarily think is muscle groups as much as it is gravity.

Add in other variables like if you're carrying stuff or not, the weight of your person vs gravity matters considerably more.

 

[Mark]

I think the intent is to determine if you have a tendency to go up stairs more or down stairs more, rather than how hard you're working your muscles as a result.

Both stairs up and down requires muscle, but they are different muscles groups and the tendency that most people have for going down as opposed to up I don't necessarily think is muscle groups as much as it is gravity.

Add in other variables like if you're carrying stuff or not, the weight of your person vs gravity matters considerably more.

Right, but my mind immediately goes towards oddball scenarios… like odd stair counts, split-level houses where stairs aren’t always necessary to traverse the property and can be avoided entirely by different entrances, or entering a mall through a second floor anchor building and then descending into the food court and exiting from there since the parking lot is still accessible from both. If you’re looking at it black and white, I’d assume it’s a lot easier to determine if you’ve went up/down more, but it gets messy as soon as you start factoring in that kinda stuff… or slides like someone else mentioned where you have to take steps or a ladder to reach it, but there’s no stairs or a ladder for the descent.

 

[TD]

...okay yeah that's a lot more variables to consider if those happen to be variables for you.

 

[Cole]

Then in that case, who knows because taking stairs down should not be the same as taking an elevator down. Stairs down should still add to your stair count, since you are actively using your muscles to change elevation instead of passively in an elevator.

That being said, probably slightly more stairs than elevators

its not mean to be stairs vs elevators though, its not even about how much effort is required, it's just about the net value of stairs if you consider up a stair +1 and down a stair -1.

you're making it too difficult.

 

[Jawneh]

We have ladders at work for climbing up to work on higher parts of busses. I walk them up normal, but tend to slide them down as they are kind of safety ones with rails and all. Not that you're meant to do that but....

My wife said that she's most likely on the going down more than up. Just in her old elementary school, she used to go down steps to a basement floor, but there was an exit there to outside still, as ground floor was higher on the other side of the building. She also mentioned that often times at parks and whatnot, she tends to take slightly different paths to and from places. Slopes are easier going up than down too so taking steps down is more likely.

 

[shortkut]

its not mean to be stairs vs elevators though, its not even about how much effort is required, it's just about the net value of stairs if you consider up a stair +1 and down a stair -1.

you're making it too difficult.

Net 0 because I’m at the same elevation approximately

 

[Zell 17]

Oh I'm 100% more steps ascended.

Generally if I'm going down steps I went up those steps at some point. Not the same for going up. For example I worked at a waterpark where I had to walk up to the top of the waterslide every day. 100% of the time I rode down. And some of those slides were 100+ft up.

 

[Crystal]

Oh I'm 100% more steps ascended.

Generally if I'm going down steps I went up those steps at some point. Not the same for going up. For example I worked at a waterpark where I had to walk up to the top of the waterslide every day. 100% of the time I rode down. And some of those slides were 100+ft up.

Now that's a fun way to head down after a shift!

 

[Quagmire]

I imagine Im close to 0. Maybe positive stairs. When meeting my wife and kid at some of his appointments I take the stairs up to the 4th floor because we arrive at different times, but when we leave we leave together and she wants to take the elevator.

Also how does stair masters machines factor into this count?

 

[Mark]

I imagine Im close to 0. Maybe positive stairs. When meeting my wife and kid at some of his appointments I take the stairs up to the 4th floor because we arrive at different times, but when we leave we leave together and she wants to take the elevator.

Also how does stair masters machines factor into this count?

I’d assume exercise machines wouldn’t count, since you’re not ascending or descending.

 

[Quagmire]

I’d assume exercise machines wouldn’t count, since you’re not ascending or descending.

But they use the same ascending muscles

I guess could argue you go up about 4 steps to the top, but then you go down those steps to get off

Oh also I know I've jumped off stairs a few stairs before the bottom which would add to my net positive of up, though is that really that different than walking two steps at a time?

 

[shortkut]

(to answer the first question, yes, I am.)

Was the question how stoned are you?

 

[Quagmire]

Was the question how stoned are you?

Could also be drunk, I think of questions like this when Im tipsy or drunk

 

[Cole]

Was the question how stoned are you?

yes.

 

[Kat]

The first part I’d like to bring to this discussion is my childhood home. It had 13 steps. One day, I walked down those steps for the last time, would that leave me at uneven number going forward even if every set of stairs were evenly numbered after that?

This would be an interesting point if you were born in the house. And how many times did you walk down those steps as a kid leaving then get carried back up going home because you were asleep or tired?

One variable not mentioned is that stairs are often easier to find going down than going up because they're marked as a fire exit. I always take stairs if reasonably possible, but a lot of times I can't even find them in the ground floor of an unfamiliar building. So that leads to me taking them down but not up.

My house has more steps in the front than the back though, and I definitely don't always go out the same way I came in. I'm not sure which is more often though.

Don't most slides have ladders instead of stairs? Does that count?

 

[Cole]

This would be an interesting point if you were born in the house. And how many times did you walk down those steps as a kid leaving then get carried back up going home because you were asleep or tired?

One variable not mentioned is that stairs are often easier to find going down than going up because they're marked as a fire exit. I always take stairs if reasonably possible, but a lot of times I can't even find them in the ground floor of an unfamiliar building. So that leads to me taking them down but not up.

My house has more steps in the front than the back though, and I definitely don't always go out the same way I came in. I'm not sure which is more often though.

Don't most slides have ladders instead of stairs? Does that count?

all valid points, you're on my wave length.

 

[Nae'blis]

Oh that's a good question!

If I estimate, I'd guess pretty even. Maybe a bit on the positive!

 

[Mark]

This would be an interesting point if you were born in the house. And how many times did you walk down those steps as a kid leaving then get carried back up going home because you were asleep or tired?

See, that’s what I’m getting at… all the different variables that complicate the otherwise simple +1/-1 math of it all.

One variable not mentioned is that stairs are often easier to find going down than going up because they're marked as a fire exit. I always take stairs if reasonably possible, but a lot of times I can't even find them in the ground floor of an unfamiliar building. So that leads to me taking them down but not up.

Fair point, this coincides with my mention of places like shopping malls or movie theaters.

My house has more steps in the front than the back though, and I definitely don't always go out the same way I came in. I'm not sure which is more often though.

Same principle as split-level houses. If you have a basement level garage that you park in, you might climb more steps than if you had a driveway loop on the other side of the house that was above ground and walked through the front door.

 

[VashTheStampede]

I've definitely climbed more than I've decended. Used to have to wait at the hospital my mother worked at for her to get off work for an entire year of school, and I always took the stairs up and the elevator down.

 

[Jon]

This whole topic feels like something Cole had an epiphany on while heavily stoned on his couch.

 

[Jawneh]

Yesterday as I was traveling back from the warmth of Florida to the coldness of New York, inrealized something at the airport:

Escalators.

Now, for the uninitiated, you're still supposed to walk up and down those things. They're meant to speed up the process of using stairs, not to have your lazy ass just take a leisurely ride. With that out of the way...

Firstly, I took multiple up and down, but did end up having a new negative in steps as I skipped one and went down regular steps and a pair of people were confused on how to use it or something.

But secondly, that unlocked some memories for me. I used to take these things up and down a lot whenever I was going to the city back in Finland as well as everyday multiple times in my high school years to get to the school. Now, my memories partially escape me, but I did just use the regular steps a lot since I could just go and not be stuck behind people being lazy. What I don't remember is how often there was crossover where the escalator was empty and I could just walk it up or down and took the regular stairs back. Or the escalator again for a net zero.

Just more things to consider.

 

[shortkut]

Yesterday as I was traveling back from the warmth of Florida to the coldness of New York, inrealized something at the airport:

Escalators.

Now, for the uninitiated, you're still supposed to walk up and down those things. They're meant to speed up the process of using stairs, not to have your lazy ass just take a leisurely ride. With that out of the way...

Firstly, I took multiple up and down, but did end up having a new negative in steps as I skipped one and went down regular steps and a pair of people were confused on how to use it or something.

But secondly, that unlocked some memories for me. I used to take these things up and down a lot whenever I was going to the city back in Finland as well as everyday multiple times in my high school years to get to the school. Now, my memories partially escape me, but I did just use the regular steps a lot since I could just go and not be stuck behind people being lazy. What I don't remember is how often there was crossover where the escalator was empty and I could just walk it up or down and took the regular stairs back. Or the escalator again for a net zero.

Just more things to consider.

Does walking up the down escalator count extra? I used to do that a lot as a kid

 

[VashTheStampede]

Now, for the uninitiated, you're still supposed to walk up and down those things. They're meant to speed up the process of using stairs, not to have your lazy ass just take a leisurely ride. With that out of the way...

I do prefer to walk up escalators but this is not true. The height of escalator steps is increased from normal stair height and they are not intended to be walked up and down.

Does walking up the down escalator count extra? I used to do that a lot as a kid

I am not surprised

 

[Jawneh]

Does walking up the down escalator count extra? I used to do that a lot as a kid

Naw. It'll be "less steps to get up/down" than regular stairs as it's moving. And as Vash mentioned, it is true that the steps tend to be bigger than regular steps, so you're getting a twofer.

I do prefer to walk up escalators but this is not true. The height of escalator steps is increased from normal stair height and they are not intended to be walked up and down.

I wont be going up escalator steps two at a time for sure, but I also never had a problem going up or down one at a time at any point in time. As in, when I was still a shorter youngling and later a taller specimen. But regardless, you keep going. or the very least you're polite and stay on the right side so others who want to go past can without needing to wait or do slalom between everyone.

 

[VashTheStampede]

Tangentially related, what's more annoying than people blocking you on escalators is people blocking you on moving walkways.

That shit I cannot abide.

 

[shortkut]

Naw. It'll be "less steps to get up/down" than regular stairs as it's moving. And as Vash mentioned, it is true that the steps tend to be bigger than regular steps, so you're getting a twofer.

You mean more steps since I’m going in the opposite direction the stairs are moving in

 

[Jawneh]

You mean more steps since I’m going in the opposite direction the stairs are moving in

That is true. But it's not like you do that more than a couple times as a kid and then it gets boring. At least it did for me.

 

[shortkut]

That is true. But it's not like you do that more than a couple times as a kid and then it gets boring. At least it did for me.

Not when you have friends or an older sibling to race against

 

[Jawneh]

Not when you have friends or an older sibling to race against

 

[Kat]

I do prefer to walk up escalators but this is not true. The height of escalator steps is increased from normal stair height and they are not intended to be walked up and down.

Hmm I've never noticed that.

My friend once got in trouble with shopping center security for walking up the down escalator. We were in our mid 20s at the time.

 

[Cole]

This whole topic feels like something Cole had an epiphany on while heavily stoned on his couch.

I wasn't on the couch.

 

[VashTheStampede]

yeah what a ridiculous assumption

 

[Quagmire]

I think I have a net positive, thinking of things like water slides or just slides at playgrounds, you go up some stairs often, but then take a big slide down and never stairs down

 

[Kat]

Y'all must have gone on a lot more slides than I have in my life. I'm pretty sure my "not being able to find stairs to go up" more than cancels out my "used stairs to go up and a slide to go down".

 

[Quagmire]

Y'all must have gone on a lot more slides than I have in my life. I'm pretty sure my "not being able to find stairs to go up" more than cancels out my "used stairs to go up and a slide to go down".

I still often get on slides when running around with my son and his friends at playgrounds, though sometimes I run up the slide

 

[Advocate for Ants! Mouth]

I want to say I've taken more steps down stairs than up. I go down stairs pretty quickly and often am much faster than an elevator would be depending on the number of stories.

It might be pretty close though, because I have had many moments where I took stairs up and later an elevator or something down.

Also I need to check to see if the two staircases at my house have different counts of steps. I think there might be a one step difference because the back stairs lead into the bedroom which is slightly lower than the rest of the upstairs. I could be evening it out over time (or making it worse over time!).

 

[Advocate for Ants! Mouth]

12 steps on the back stairs and 13 on the front.

There is a "step" at the door in the bedroom that leads to the hallway. Does that count as well? If so it'll be even, otherwise not.


Also I just remembered I grew up with my house on a hill. The basement was furnished and opened straight into the backyard. Often would go down the stairs to get to the basement, play outside, and then head up the hill and come back in through the front. Never really entered through the basement. So that's a lot more down than up.