"There was a power outage at a department store yesterday. Twenty people were trapped on the escalators"

This quote by Steven Wright is a humorous take on a major scenario. It highlights the potential danger of a power failure in a public place. The quote suggests that the power failure caused the escalators to stop working, trapping twenty individuals on them. This could have been an extremely unsafe situation, as individuals could have been injured if they had actually tried to leave the escalators. It likewise implies that the outlet store was unprepared for such an occasion, as they did not have a plan in location to leave people in the event of a power interruption. The quote functions as a pointer of the significance of being gotten ready for unexpected occasions, and of the prospective risk of a power failure in a public place.