By Gus Saltonstall
Two people were hospitalized after an escalator accident at Trader Joe’s on Tuesday, according to the FDNY, a tipster, and a popular Upper West Side social media platform.
FDNY confirmed to West Side Rag that two people were transported to Mount Sinai West from Trader Joe’s at 2073 Broadway, off the corner of West 72nd Street, around 2:30 p.m.
“People fell down less than five feet due to an escalator,” an FDNY spokesperson wrote. “EMS transported two civilians with minor non-life-threatening injuries to Mount Sinai West Hospital.”
FDNY could not confirm whether the shoppers fell due to an escalator malfunction or whether a shopper or multiple shoppers had simply stumbled or slipped on a working escalator, but at 3:20 p.m. on Tuesday, the Rag received an email from a tipster.
“2 people injured – one bleeding at Trader Joe’s at Broadway and 72nd Street,” Roger Baron wrote. “Up escalator from cashiers halted working. One woman was lying on the floor in front of the exit escalator. Another person, I was told (don’t know if it’s true) was visibly bleeding.”
Trader Joe’s did not immediately respond to WSR’s request for comment.
Someone also posted about the Tuesday Trader Joe’s escalator incident on the Upper West Side Reddit page.
“I saw a few people severely injured at the 72nd TJ store today,” a poster wrote. “Might be an escalator situation.”
Another user replied that someone “fell on the escalator and shredded his leg up pretty badly. There was not an insignificant amount of blood.”
WSR could not confirm these details or whether the injuries happened because of an escalator malfunction as of 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
When we visited the store around 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, the escalators were working, and there was no sign of any blood.
Since the West 72nd Street Trader Joe’s reopened from a four-month renovation earlier in September, there have been consistent reports of the passenger escalators, cart escalators, and elevators not operating properly. Trader Joe’s listed “vertical transportation” as a specific point of emphasis for the renovations, as the escalators and elevators were also known to go out of service prior to the temporary closure.
WSR will update this story when more is learned.
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So much drama around this escalator. I know this is a tricky space but this is a giant corporation – it really shouldn’t be this hard. I’ll stick to the one on Columbus that’s on one floor. I hope they are OK.
“When we visited the store around 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, the escalators were working, and there was no sign of any blood.”
No Blood? OK, go to checkout 21!
Plainly put, this is a terrible location for a Trader Joe’s, especially one that is considered the busiest in the country. It’s underground, it’s incredibly cramped, the line blocks so many of the display cases, the elevator is a disaster, and the escalators are no better. Shopping here is always unpleasant at best, despite the good prices. Trader Joe’s really should’ve taken this opportunity to move to a better location, preferably one above ground.
The whole north west corner of 86th and Broadway is vacant and available, as far as I know. Including the old Gristede’s space downstairs.
Just sayin’
Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, someone…anyone?