Stairs in the metro

I get the impression that one is expected to be really self-sufficient in French society. There aren’t a lot of cushions provided in daily life – you just have to deal with things. (Although, if something goes Really Wrong, like illness or losing your job, the French really take care of everyone.). But in daily life, it can be really inconvenient.

For example, why are there so few escalators in the Paris metro?!

On a normal day, I don’t mind taking several flights of stairs in the metro. In fact, I think all of these stairs and walking are a key part to why the French are so slim.

However, for city-dwellers going on a trip, trying to navigate all of these stairs with luggage is a huge pain and quite a workout!

In particular, on my recent trip to Switzerland, I took the metro to Gare de Lyon, a major train station in Paris. I can understand why in a random metro station you might have not installed escalators. But in a metro stop at a train station?? I would guess a large percentage of people going to Gare de Lyon would be traveling on a train, and therefore, would have luggage. But yet, the stairs persist. (Ok this photo is not actually from the Gare de Lyon, but from another metro station...but you get the idea)