Behind me my little girls giggled: “ Look, Mother is afraid,” and I wished I had never landed on this conti- nent. “ Close your eyes, lady, and take a step.” This was the best advice given so far. Now I was on it. How would I get off ? That is easier. The staircase just slides you off, whether you want to or not. And this repeated itself seven times : “ Close your eyes, and take a step.” Seven times ? Oh, no ! Up to this day whenever I have to use an es- calator, I close my eyes and take a deep breath.