Moving Sidewalks Gaining in Popularity with Singles
 

Tired of those tacky nightclubs with the loud music and cheesy pick-up lines? Getting burned by online dating sites where deception and trickery rule the day? Well, millions of singles have found a new way to meet eligible singles in a relaxed and comfortable environment. Moving sidewalks are now the rage, and are no longer just mechanisms to get you from one place to another.

The concept is actually quite simple. Riders board a moving sidewalk and then carefully evaluate passengers coming in the opposite direction. If two riders feel a connection, they will exchange smiles or perhaps playfully flirt with one another. These quick initial meetings are what insiders call "encounters." If an initial encounter goes well, the two riders will re-board a sidewalk at the end of their segments in order to encounter their potential match again.

Bill Hardwick, a 34 year old divorced father of three, cites the strength in numbers aspect that he finds so appealing.

"I may have a half-dozen or so successful encounters on any one segment. You can imagine the excitement of then seeing a bunch of them re-board on the other end to encounter me again. Sometimes I really have my hands full. It's kind of like speed-dating on steroids."

Leslie Sanford, a HR administrator from Dallas, prefers the no-pressure environment of the moving sidewalks. "It's often tough when you first meet someone in traditional settings, as there are lulls in the conversations that are extremely uncomfortable. When meeting on the moving sidewalks you only have time for a quick word of two and then they're gone. I actually like this concept because this gives you a minute or two to think of something else to say before your next encounter."

Most riders conform to rules of etiquette that maintain a sense of dignity to the process. For example, riders are expected to have at least five or six encounters before asking for a "sameway," which is when the two riders meet up and ride together in the same direction. But that's not to say everyone abides by these unwritten rules.

Sanford claims that not unlike any other dating environment, there are sharks in the environment to swim clear of. "The other day I exchanged a glance with a guy and he seemed kind of sweet so I re-boarded to see him again. But, lo and behold, he was just waiting for me on the other end, as if I was ready for a sameway based on one glance. I mean, what kind of girl did he think I am. What a creep!"

Savvy business owners are now attempting to cash in on the phenomenon. Ken Tyson, 43, recently opened the "Sameway Cafe" near the Beaudry Metro Station in Montreal. "I began to notice an increase in the banter among riders on the moving sidewalks. After I learned what it was all about, I figured it would be a natural progression for riders to want to sit back and relax after a few sameways and converse in a more intimate setting. I opened the Sameway Cafe a month later and we've been packed since Day One."