Safety is safety. No matter how small or ridiculous

Lifesaver for old people

I have to agree

Older people with limited mobility sometimes have a difficult time keeping their balance when they lift a foot off the ground. This can actually be very helpful for them.

Give them something to rest with in the mid journey up that flight of stairs.

It looks like a little skateboard!

I'd say it's there more for preventing hands grabbing the window ledge, especially after the fresh paint job from the last lot of finger/hand prints everywhere.

I’d still slip on those stairs and knock myself out on the handrail. Cuz I’m cool like that.

It’s been too many years but on a longer staircase that railing would need to start before and end after the stairs more, right?

Just enough to meet code more than likely.

Someone is thankful for this however silly it may look. Have you seen how old people walk down stairs?

That’s what I told her, but she insist safe words are for the weak.

Yet possibly necessary for some..

code requirement. had to be there because the steps

You laugh, but someone made that necessary.

Code requirements for these handrails would call for the rail to break at the top nosing and 1 tread past the bottom nosing then go straight for 12 inches at both top and bottom. Most likely this is an old building that has not changed ownership since code was updated, meaning no one has been required to check it.

On any staircase. Correct. The baseboard is actually the best explanation of how the rail should be designed in this pic. 12 inches left and right of the diagonal portion is where the flat areas should extend. The whole rail should be about 34 inches high

36 inches

34-38” here in California

Safety compliance is serious business

Still not up to fire code in most places though. Hand rails have to be closed to the wall to avoid hooking clothing, purses and backpacks.

I would need to use that. Any kind of step and I have to pull myself up. I really hate curbs.

It really is no joke for some people. Eg, I’m only in my mid-40s but have a neuromuscular disorder and walk with a cane. Even with the cane those two steps would be very tricky for me deal with, without the handrail.

Maybe a little on the small side but I think most would agree it’s average