Australia Versus the U.S.: Shopping Cart Escalator Video Goes Viral

Emma and George Sheppard, the Australian siblings who make up the popular band Sheppard (think Keith Urban mixed with a little A-ha) recently posted a video that went viral about — of all things — Australian shopping-cart versus American shopping-cart escalator systems, the Daily Mail is among outlets to report. In the video, which is a little over a minute long, George rides the American “trolley escalator” system in a Target store, demonstrating that such conveyances consist of two escalators: one for the shopping cart and the other for the shopper. In Australia, however, shopping carts and passengers travel together on the same escalator (actually a flat travelator), with the system locking the cart in place, which Emma deems “similar but better” in the video that racked up more than two-and-a-half million views. The video sparked “lively debate” about which system is better, with some declaring the U.S. system “over-complicated” and “the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen,” and others deeming it better since the shopping cart doesn’t block the escalator exit. One commenter said, “If there were an emergency, everyone can get out.”