Viral: Mother with Stroller Denied Elevator Use at 5-Star Jakarta Hotel, Who Gets Priority?

A woman's distressing encounter at a five-star Jakarta hotel has ignited a firestorm online after she claimed staff denied her elevator access while she was managing a stroller with a sleeping child. The guest, identified by her Threads account @lidyaarrahman, recounted the incident, stating she was forced to use the escalator instead.

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I still can't accept the treatment from the five-star hotel staff who forbade me from using the elevator when I was carrying a stroller and my child was sleeping. My stroller was forced to go down the escalator, moving backward, which is very dangerous. All because there was an event near the elevator area and general guests were not allowed to pass, they said.

"I still can't accept the treatment from the five-star hotel staff who forbade me from using the elevator when I was carrying a stroller and my child was sleeping," she wrote in her post. "My stroller was forced to go down the escalator, moving backward, which is very dangerous. All because there was an event near the elevator area and general guests were not allowed to pass, they said."

While hotel staff did offer assistance in maneuvering the stroller down the escalator, the guest expressed deep concern for safety. "Clearly, even the staff here were not confident they could bring it down with the stroller. It's very dangerous. Regardless of what happened, I am grateful my child was kept safe by God. Because in the end, he was carried down the stairs because they thought the escalator was too dangerous," she added.

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Clearly, even the staff here were not confident they could bring it down with the stroller. It's very dangerous. Regardless of what happened, I am grateful my child was kept safe by God. Because in the end, he was carried down the stairs because they thought the escalator was too dangerous.

The social media post quickly garnered widespread criticism. Many netizens expressed anger, arguing that hotels must ensure safe passage for all guests, especially those with vulnerable individuals. "I really don't understand blocking the elevator. Even if there's an event, there should be another elevator that other guests can still use. Please, this is about a child's safety," commented one user.

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I really don't understand blocking the elevator. Even if there's an event, there should be another elevator that other guests can still use. Please, this is about a child's safety.

Experts emphasize that using strollers on escalators is strongly discouraged due to significant safety risks for both users and the escalator's mechanism. Professional engineer S Yogeeswaran previously stated that escalators are complex machines, and bringing strollers, trolleys, or any wheeled items is prohibited for safety reasons.

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One of the important rules in using escalators is the prohibition of carrying strollers, trolleys, or other wheeled items, including folding bicycles, because it can endanger users and the working mechanism of the escalator.