"The stair system"
Author, broadcaster, and journalist, Caitlin Moran was on TV this morning espousing what she calls "the stair system". This is what Steve's family do too and it drives me nuts.
Basically you put stuff that needs to go upstairs on the staircase and at some point when when you decide for some other reason to go upstairs you pick it up and take it upstairs.
So much wrong in this. First, the obvious thing - if something needs to go upstairs then JUST TAKE IT UPSTAIRS. It's not Everest, it's just a staircase, it's designed specifically so that you can go up and down with ease. Secondly, putting stuff on the stairs means that other people in the household will think nothing of it and will invariably step over it. Lastly, visitors who do NOT employ this system at home (that would be me!) won't be expecting stuff on the stairs and, with their poor eyesight, will likely trip on it. Worse still when you stay with family, the hosts will definitely not be expecting your stuff to be placed on their stairs and it could have consequences like for example, them saying something along the lines of "I can't believe that you are happy to take a ten mile walk but you won't go up the damned stairs! Please don't leave your crap on our stairs."
This "stair system" isn't obvious, isn't sensible, it's just lazy.
Basically you put stuff that needs to go upstairs on the staircase and at some point when when you decide for some other reason to go upstairs you pick it up and take it upstairs.
So much wrong in this. First, the obvious thing - if something needs to go upstairs then JUST TAKE IT UPSTAIRS. It's not Everest, it's just a staircase, it's designed specifically so that you can go up and down with ease. Secondly, putting stuff on the stairs means that other people in the household will think nothing of it and will invariably step over it. Lastly, visitors who do NOT employ this system at home (that would be me!) won't be expecting stuff on the stairs and, with their poor eyesight, will likely trip on it. Worse still when you stay with family, the hosts will definitely not be expecting your stuff to be placed on their stairs and it could have consequences like for example, them saying something along the lines of "I can't believe that you are happy to take a ten mile walk but you won't go up the damned stairs! Please don't leave your crap on our stairs."
This "stair system" isn't obvious, isn't sensible, it's just lazy.