Particularly noticeable in
urban settings, this
phenomenon can be succinctly described as:
the increase in effect of gravity upon reaching the last steps in a flight (especially when the series of steps is at the exit of a subway platform during rush hour), leading to a general slowdown, yelling, frustration, and increased latency of the people farther down the stairwell who have not yet gotten to the source of the traffic jam.
also see:
lazy, traffic, people are stupid