“You Can’t Make This Up.”

Gerry Matawa, a KONE escalator installation expert whose specialty is the vast, complex and deep escalator system for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) subway network in New York City (NYC), has several catchphrases, one of which is, “You can’t make this up.” Working with the MTA, Matawa spends most of his time on the job underground, and he sees it all. On a recent trip to NYC, ELEVATOR WORLD witnessed him stopping a unit at a station on the bustling, new Second Avenue Subway extension to remove a screw that had become lodged between the steps. “You can’t let stuff like that go,” he said. “It could tear the machinery up and result in thousands of dollars of damage within about 30 min.” He’s seen all kinds of things get stuck in escalators — high-heeled shoes, jackets, scarves and even a basketball. When he got the call about the basketball being lodged in the machinery, he had to go take a look and take this picture.