C. In the reverse process of the escalator, passengers first decelerate upward and then accelerate downward, and there is downward acceleration along the inclined plane, which is decomposed into horizontal and vertical acceleration, so people are subjected to the friction of the escalator to the left, so C is correct;
D, in the process of escalator inversion, the passenger's friction on the escalator first increases, then decreases, and finally reaches zero, so D is wrong;
So choose: C.