Photo by volcanojw.

We can all have a Peep-based laugh or two about the scary Foggy Bottom escalator collapse, since no one was seriously injured. But what precisely caused the escalators to fail on February 18?

The Post’s Ann Scott Tyson reports that an investigation found that the collapse was caused by “an object that was lodged under the top comb plate of the conveyance.” The object caused a chain reaction which displaced a step, then wedged again and broke four other steps, causing the collapse. The report did not specify what the object was, but did state that it was not part of the escalator.

Metro will hold a hearing on the findings of the investigation this week. One opinion I imagine may be put forth at that meeting: Metro’s creaky old escalators have enough problems to deal without people’s trash causing them to collapse.