Tired of fielding complaints about broken down escalators, the Mexico City subway system has determined the reason its moving stairs aren't moving: There's too much pee in the gears.
Metro official Fermin Ramirez says subway riders often urinate on the escalators, usually during off-peak hours. The pee has gotten into the escalators' machinery and corroded its moving parts, he says. "When we open up escalators for maintenance, there is always urine," Ramirez says.
A big part of the problem is there are no public restrooms in any subway locations, leaving riders to either hold it in or find someplace to relieve themselves.