I haven't been to Shea Stadium, so I can't picture exactly how this happened. Did he fall off the side of the escalator? How'd that happen?

Brett Myers probably pushed the guy.

That sounds absolutely horrible though. Ugh, he's got a family too, yikes.

His daughters were there and probably saw the whole thing. Unthinkable.

Though obviously this is different sitaution, I had a very close call on an escalator at Shea as a kid. A friend and I were riding up to our upper deck seats and we were peering over the side of the escalator at the people below. At the last minute, my buddy (who was below me on the escalator) noticed the oncoming floor of the third deck, which runs right alongside the escalator. I don't know what would have happened if it struck my head, but death was certainly a possible outcome.

A Daily News article this morning says he lost his balance somehow, and simply fell over the side, no horseplay or drinking involved. I mean, that's hard to imagine, but stranger things, I guess... I've been to Shea many many many times, and I know those escalators are high up, but a 4-story fall? That I hadn't noticed.

Really awful his family had to see that. I have no idea how this could have happened though. How do you lose your balance on an escalator and fall two stories?

1 down, 100,000 to go

I already have a fear of heights, now this is going to add to my fear of escalators. I always tense up when I'm nearing the top.

There are reports he was trying to slide down the handrail. I have to say I believe that way more than "he just fell". How can you trip and fall over the side?

I think I've ridden on every one of the Shea Stadium escalators, and for some odd reason, they're either turned off or continue to run upwards after a game.

He was probably hoofing it down one, rather than use the ramps -- I did this myself this past Saturday. Or he could have been trying to slide down the railing, but I don't know how he could do that without kicking a couple of hundred people in the kidneys...




Edit: Not funny, McCoy.

Really intelligent, McCoy. You must have dug 9/11.

Even worse.

His wife, pregnant with their third child, had stayed home while he attended the game.

Really intelligent, McCoy. You must have dug 9/11.

either that or Rob Base has assumed his handle

Even worse.

His wife, pregnant with their third child, had stayed home while he attended the game.

Ugh. Simply heartbreaking.

Clearly, McCoy was dropped on his head. If not, someone please kick him there. What an #######.

I was at a game with retro and a group of cowokers at Miller Park and a guy I worked with fell off and died.

I think I've ridden on every one of the Shea Stadium escalators, and for some odd reason, they're either turned off or continue to run upwards after a game.

If the escalators were on and moving down after a game, you would have deaths by trampling every night.

FLYNN: "There are reports he was trying to slide down the handrail."

Where are these reports?

I saw this on NY1: "There are reports he was sliding down the handrail, but his cousin says he was walking down the escalator and lost his footing."

However, that is not referenced at all. NY1 never says where these reports are from.

If the escalators were on and moving down after a game, you would have deaths by trampling every night.

They run 'em downward at Giants Stadium & that holds 10,000 more people.

Where are these reports?

I read somewhere on line this morning that Nararainsami was sliding down the rail when he fell, but I can't for the life of me find any such statement on ESPN or CNN, which would have been the likeliest two sites on which I read it. Might have been an early report which has since been scrubbed.

Where are these reports?

At the police station.

"A statement from the New York Police Department Tuesday said witnesses saw 36-year-old Antonio Nararainsami of Brooklyn sitting on the banister of the escalator when he lost his balance and fell."

CNN

The family disputes it.

I thought that McCoy was making a Jonestown reference.

Jack Vincennes once saw a guy die at Miller Park, IIRC.

I have no idea how this could have happened though. How do you lose your balance on an escalator and fall two stories?

Being 6'4", the rail of these type of escalators usually comes in at or even below my center of gravity. It is certainly something I can imagine even if you aren't fooling around.

Jack's seen everything.

From CNN:

"Nararainsami's daughter, Emily, told CNN affiliate WABC Tuesday that her father was walking down the escalator, not sliding, as fans left the stadium after the New York Mets-Washington Nationals game. She said she and another relative saw what happened.

"He wasn't moving or nothing, he was just walking down. I guess he tried to say something to us or something, and I guess he just lost his balance and flipped over," she said.

This makes no sense to me. I'm 6' 2". I cannot imagine "just flipping over" the railing of an escalator. Assuming he was not fooling around, the only thing I could imagine is that he turned around, looked up to face his family and when he turned back he lost his balance and in trying to regain it, he grabbed the railing and accidentally threw himself over the edge. But no one just standing on an escalator -- not even someone Yao Ming's height -- could just "flip over the edge."

From ABClocal:

Kevin Prashad, a cousin who attended the game, said Narainasami was walking down the escalator, which wasn't moving, and was holding the hand rail when he "lost his footing."

This just makes no sense. The railing, even on an unmoving escalator, is significantly higher than the steps. You don't fall up. Therefore, if you trip on the steps, gravity would not lift you over the railing, unless you grabbed it and threw yourself over.

The family disputes it.

Of course they do, if he was screwing then that really weakens their case for a lawsuit.

Of course they do, if he was screwing then that really weakens their case for a lawsuit.

Although it would have made the divorce a snap.

Of course they do, if he was screwing then that really weakens their case for a lawsuit.

If that was their first thought, they are a hard, hard group of people. What an awful thing to happen.

I, too, am having trouble imagining the mechanics of falling over the rail. I'm not doubting the veracity of the family's claims--I have trouble believing the man's daughter's would lie so soon after this happen as I'd think they'd be too in shock to be that calculating--but I just can't picture it. I can see falling down the steps, but not over the side. But obviously it happened. Just awful.

If that was their first thought, they are a hard, hard group of people. What an awful thing to happen.

As I think about it, it's also possible that they're too embarrassed to say that he was screwing around. Like you, I'm having a hard time seeing how this guy could just fall over.

Is this the type of escalator?

Maybe Dogbert was at the controls.

I have trouble believing the man's daughter's would lie so soon after this happen as I'd think they'd be too in shock to be that calculating

Maybe she didn't actually see it. It's an easy step from "he wouldn't do that" to "he didn't do that."

Of course they do, if he was screwing then that really weakens their case for a lawsuit.

You can guarandamntee whoever owns Shea will produce witnesses who'll testify that he was screwing around.

We will never know the truth unless it's on tape.

If Shea owns the tape, we'll see if it befits them.

You can guarandamntee whoever owns Shea will produce witnesses who'll testify that he was screwing around.

Absolutely. But if he was trying to slide down it, and they admit he was, that's not going to help them get the most money they can.

We will never know the truth unless it's on tape.

There very well may be tape of it, but I wouldn't count on it.

Maybe she didn't actually see it. It's an easy step from "he wouldn't do that" to "he didn't do that."

Don't we see this constantly in the news. "My son/daughter/husband would never..." and then they bring out the videotape.

It's a tragedy that his family had to witness this horrible event.

However, him being a Mets fan and all, have they ruled out suicide?

too soon?

I have a terrible fear of escalators too. For me, it's when they go down and I have to make the clean first step on to the steps...I always feel like I'm going to miss and fall to my doom.

I, too, am having trouble imagining the mechanics of falling over the rail. I'm not doubting the veracity of the family's claims--I have trouble believing the man's daughter's would lie so soon after this happen as I'd think they'd be too in shock to be that calculating--but I just can't picture it. I can see falling down the steps, but not over the side. But obviously it happened. Just awful.

Nobody is saying falling over this rail is probable. But it is possible, obviously, even if it is 10,000 to 1 odds that if you were taller, tripped and went over the edge, that is actually not that impossible of a chance.

Keep in mind, when you are traveling down, just 2-4 steps in front of you can amount to about a 1-2 foot drop and the rail 2-4 steps in front of you, when going down, is actually closer to you thigh/knee area. Contrast this with walking up, the rail is above your head 2-4 steps in front of you.

I'm having a hard time seeing how this guy could just fall over.

I'm not having a hard time seeing this as a 10,000:1 scenario after tripping. That being said, I don't think our positions are different at all.

Jack's seen everything.

He hasn't seen my kitchen.

Best Regards

John

But at Miller Park the phrase "Authorities believe alcohol was involved" is a tautology. Is that the case at Shea?

I think Beano has it.

ballpark escalators are pretty steep, so if he turned and was speaking to somebody up escalator and then turned back around and missed his step, maybe even two steps, i could see somebody falling forward.

from there it is just a question of which way his momentum was going.
was he top heavy, fat, have a lot of stuff in his hands.

it could happen

I thought that McCoy was making a Jonestown reference.

explain?

Guy was Guyanan. That's why I thought of Jonestown.

i see that, but still don't get it.

My mind works in mysterious ways. I don't get what McCoy was referring to either. I'm sorry that I brought it up.

But it is possible, obviously, even if it is 10,000 to 1 odds...

That would be a more plausible guesstimate if the Mets had drawn 10,000 fans since installing the escalators. (Let's make it 5,000 to 1, since I know this has happened at least once before.) However, over 50 million tickets have been sold at Shea Stadium since 1986, which doesn't even count postseason games and non-Met events.

The two kids being there is off-the-charts wince material, but if it turns out this guy wasn't handrail-sliding/looking down below/etc., it'll be a stunner.

Best Regards, John wins for best new handle. No, I'm not Jewish. So much for ever eating calamari again.