I'm only familiar with escalators with normal-sized steps. You certainly couldn't get a trolley safely onto one of those. The one at my Walmart has an adjacent track that hooks onto two little wheels at the front and back of your trolley and keeps it level as it travels up or down. So you ride the normal escalator side-by-side with your trolley.

However, this is getting awfully off-topic (and it's my fault) so here's a question:

9) Is it electronic?

0) It is largely mineral though it has some vegetable constituents.
1) Is it bigger than a breadbox? Yes.
2) Has it ever been turned into a human through an accident with a DNA transmogrification device? No, fortunately not. Not that I know.
3) Would it go through a tunnel in the normal course of events? No/Yes. Some of them do so as a matter of routine, but most don't.
4) Is it self-powered? No.
5) Does it have moving parts? Yes. Some variants are said to have no moving parts, but even there something moves.
6) Is it used industrially? No. It performs the same function in industry as elsewhere.
7) Is it easily transportable? No. This is however very subjective and contextual.
8) Does one buy it at the neighbourhood supermarket? No. The vast stores in the fields do sell them, though certain types are only found in specialty shops.
9) Does it have feature numbers (like option codes)? Yes, many of them have.
10) Is it electronic? Yes, today most of them are, to various extents, but the first ones definitely weren't.

Is it a clock?

---

Part time Quantum Elephant hollower

0) It is largely mineral though it has some vegetable constituents.
1) Is it bigger than a breadbox? Yes.
2) Has it ever been turned into a human through an accident with a DNA transmogrification device? No, fortunately not. Not that I know.
3) Would it go through a tunnel in the normal course of events? No/Yes. Some of them do so as a matter of routine, but most don't.
4) Is it self-powered? No.
5) Does it have moving parts? Yes. Some variants are said to have no moving parts, but even there something moves.
6) Is it used industrially? No. It performs the same function in industry as elsewhere.
7) Is it easily transportable? No. This is however very subjective and contextual.
8) Does one buy it at the neighbourhood supermarket? No. The vast stores in the fields do sell them, though certain types are only found in specialty shops.
9) Does it have feature numbers (like option codes)? Yes, many of them have.
10) Is it electronic? Yes, today most of them are, to various extents, but the first ones definitely weren't.
11) Is it a clock? No. Some models may include a clock, though.

Is it a kitchen appliance?

0) It is largely mineral though it has some vegetable constituents.
1) Is it bigger than a breadbox? Yes.
2) Has it ever been turned into a human through an accident with a DNA transmogrification device? No, fortunately not. Not that I know.
3) Would it go through a tunnel in the normal course of events? No/Yes. Some of them do so as a matter of routine, but most don't.
4) Is it self-powered? No.
5) Does it have moving parts? Yes. Some variants are said to have no moving parts, but even there something moves.
6) Is it used industrially? No. It performs the same function in industry as elsewhere.
7) Is it easily transportable? No. This is however very subjective and contextual.
8) Does one buy it at the neighbourhood supermarket? No. The vast stores in the fields do sell them, though certain types are only found in specialty shops.
9) Does it have feature numbers (like option codes)? Yes, many of them have.
10) Is it electronic? Yes, today most of them are, to various extents, but the first ones definitely weren't.
11) Is it a clock? No. Some models may include a clock, though.
12) Is it a kitchen appliance? Yes. Not exclusively, but practically so.

13) Is it a dishwasher?

If no, then 14) Is it involved in the cooking of food?

0) It is largely mineral though it has some vegetable constituents.
1) Is it bigger than a breadbox? Yes.
2) Has it ever been turned into a human through an accident with a DNA transmogrification device? No, fortunately not. Not that I know.
3) Would it go through a tunnel in the normal course of events? No/Yes. Some of them do so as a matter of routine, but most don't.
4) Is it self-powered? No.
5) Does it have moving parts? Yes. Some variants are said to have no moving parts, but even there something moves.
6) Is it used industrially? No. It performs the same function in industry as elsewhere.
7) Is it easily transportable? No. This is however very subjective and contextual.
8) Does one buy it at the neighbourhood supermarket? No. The vast stores in the fields do sell them, though certain types are only found in specialty shops.
9) Does it have feature numbers (like option codes)? Yes, many of them have.
10) Is it electronic? Yes, today most of them are, to various extents, but the first ones definitely weren't.
11) Is it a clock? No. Some models may include a clock, though.
12) Is it a kitchen appliance? Yes. Not exclusively, but practically so.
13) Is it a dishwasher? No.
14) Is it involved in the cooking of food? No, strictly speaking not.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/24/2010 08:46AM by delacuesta.

Is it designed to make things colder?

0) It is largely mineral though it has some vegetable constituents.
1) Is it bigger than a breadbox? Yes.
2) Has it ever been turned into a human through an accident with a DNA transmogrification device? No, fortunately not. Not that I know.
3) Would it go through a tunnel in the normal course of events? No/Yes. Some of them do so as a matter of routine, but most don't.
4) Is it self-powered? No.
5) Does it have moving parts? Yes. Some variants are said to have no moving parts, but even there something moves.
6) Is it used industrially? No. It performs the same function in industry as elsewhere.
7) Is it easily transportable? No. This is however very subjective and contextual.
8) Does one buy it at the neighbourhood supermarket? No. The vast stores in the fields do sell them, though certain types are only found in specialty shops.
9) Does it have feature numbers (like option codes)? Yes, many of them have.
10) Is it electronic? Yes, today most of them are, to various extents, but the first ones definitely weren't.
11) Is it a clock? No. Some models may include a clock, though.
12) Is it a kitchen appliance? Yes. Not exclusively, but practically so.
13) Is it a dishwasher? No.
14) Is it involved in the cooking of food? No, strictly speaking not.
15) Is it designed to make things colder? No.

Is it used to alter the temperature of water?

0) It is largely mineral though it has some vegetable constituents.
1) Is it bigger than a breadbox? Yes.
2) Has it ever been turned into a human through an accident with a DNA transmogrification device? No, fortunately not. Not that I know.
3) Would it go through a tunnel in the normal course of events? No/Yes. Some of them do so as a matter of routine, but most don't.
4) Is it self-powered? No.
5) Does it have moving parts? Yes. Some variants are said to have no moving parts, but even there something moves.
6) Is it used industrially? No. It performs the same function in industry as elsewhere.
7) Is it easily transportable? No. This is however very subjective and contextual.
8) Does one buy it at the neighbourhood supermarket? No. The vast stores in the fields do sell them, though certain types are only found in specialty shops.
9) Does it have feature numbers (like option codes)? Yes, many of them have.
10) Is it electronic? Yes, today most of them are, to various extents, but the first ones definitely weren't.
11) Is it a clock? No. Some models may include a clock, though.
12) Is it a kitchen appliance? Yes. Not exclusively, but practically so.
13) Is it a dishwasher? No.
14) Is it involved in the cooking of food? No, strictly speaking not.
15) Is it designed to make things colder? No.
16) Is it used to alter the temperature of water? Yes.

Is it a boiler?

0) It is largely mineral though it has some vegetable constituents.
1) Is it bigger than a breadbox? Yes.
2) Has it ever been turned into a human through an accident with a DNA transmogrification device? No, fortunately not. Not that I know.
3) Would it go through a tunnel in the normal course of events? No/Yes. Some of them do so as a matter of routine, but most don't.
4) Is it self-powered? No.
5) Does it have moving parts? Yes. Some variants are said to have no moving parts, but even there something moves.
6) Is it used industrially? No. It performs the same function in industry as elsewhere.
7) Is it easily transportable? No. This is however very subjective and contextual.
8) Does one buy it at the neighbourhood supermarket? No. The vast stores in the fields do sell them, though certain types are only found in specialty shops.
9) Does it have feature numbers (like option codes)? Yes, many of them have.
10) Is it electronic? Yes, today most of them are, to various extents, but the first ones definitely weren't.
11) Is it a clock? No. Some models may include a clock, though.
12) Is it a kitchen appliance? Yes. Not exclusively, but practically so.
13) Is it a dishwasher? No.
14) Is it involved in the cooking of food? No, strictly speaking not.
15) Is it designed to make things colder? No. And it doesn't.
16) Is it used to alter the temperature of water? Yes, but not exclusively.
17) Is it a boiler? No.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/24/2010 04:10PM by delacuesta.

As a kettle is both a boiler and in normal use exclusively used with water, is it a coffee maker?

Point of clarification--given the current clues, I don't think the answer is "microwave", but I would consider that to be involved in the cooking of food on occasion. So can we clarify that a microwave has been ruled out?

0) It is largely mineral though it has some vegetable constituents.
1) Is it bigger than a breadbox? Yes.
2) Has it ever been turned into a human through an accident with a DNA transmogrification device? No, fortunately not. Not that I know.
3) Would it go through a tunnel in the normal course of events? No/Yes. Some of them do so as a matter of routine, but most don't.
4) Is it self-powered? No.
5) Does it have moving parts? Yes. Some variants are said to have no moving parts, but even there something moves.
6) Is it used industrially? No. It performs the same function in industry as elsewhere.
7) Is it easily transportable? No. This is however very subjective and contextual.
8) Does one buy it at the neighbourhood supermarket? No. The vast stores in the fields do sell them, though certain types are only found in specialty shops.
9) Does it have feature numbers (like option codes)? Yes, many of them have.
10) Is it electronic? Yes, today most of them are, to various extents, but the first ones definitely weren't.
11) Is it a clock? No. Some models may include a clock, though.
12) Is it a kitchen appliance? Yes. Not exclusively, but practically so.
13) Is it a dishwasher? No.
14) Is it involved in the cooking of food? No, strictly speaking not.
15) Is it designed to make things colder? No. And it doesn't.
16) Is it used to alter the temperature of water? Yes, but not exclusively.
17) Is it a boiler? No.
18) Is it a coffee maker? Yes.

The thing I had originally in mind was a full-automatic coffee machine (beans and water in, press button, ready), but I decided to accept anything near (except a mere water boiler of course).

I was inspired by a book I read recently, called Very Bad Deaths by SF author Spider Robinson, written in 2004, when the things were apparently rather new, especially at home. Most of them are used in canteens, cafés and the like, and also in the cafetaria cars of trains (thence my statement that they may move through tunnels). The thing Spider Robinson describes is a Jura Scala Vario, which is no longer being produced. He describes it as the dream of an SF author come true.

Very Bad Deaths is only slightly Ffordean. It features a telepath vs a master in torture/pain/fear, vaguely resembling the Thusday Next / Aornis Hades confrontation in The Well of Lost Plots. All the same, Fforde is by far the more imaginative writer of the two, to such an extent that in my opinion Very Bad Dreads would have been a better title.

The weird thing is that somewhere around the 5th or 6th question or so, I went to the American book Shop in Amsterdam to retrieve another book set in Canada and written by an USA author that I ordered (Shadows on the Rock by Willa Cather). Coming home I discovered that they slipped in an advertisement pad announcing the Espresso Book Machine for November next.

I was tempted to change the subject on the fly but resisted. All the same, I never knew these things existed. Creepy.

Edit: I took some time in writing this post, so missed out MuseSusan's. The obvious answer is: Yes, the MicroWave is ruled out.

Edit 2: Well done everyone, and it's your turn again Mr SkidMarks.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 08/24/2010 08:53PM by delacuesta.

Thank you.

0) mine is 95+% mineral with the remainder animal and vegetable.

Is it a bread box?

0) mine is 95+% mineral with the remainder animal and vegetable.
1) Is it a bread box? No (at least not it's primary function.)