It's a pet peeve of mine that very few people seem to know the same form of Elevator Etiquette which I was taught; one of the major offenses is people that storm the doors and crowd round without letting the people who are already inside the elevator car get off. I feel this way whether I'm departing or boarding; I see folks crowd around the door, desperate to board, and then the people who want just as desperately to get out are unable to, or unable to without great discomfort. This irks me. How hard is it to wait 15 seconds for the people already on board to exit?
But today, I have an ancillary gripe. No less than three times today, I needed the elevator and each time it answered my summons, people were inside. So I stood aside, hesitating, yet the people in the car made no moves, no signs of realization, no reactions - utterly nothing. Therefore, I stepped forward and made preliminary motions to enter the elevator car, at which time the occupants WOKE UP! CAME BACK TO EARTH! whatever they'd been doing, realized that they wanted to depart, rather than enjoy my stop as a midway post in their journey, and started trying to exit, by which time I was halfway over the threshold, thus becoming (in their minds) one of the elevator-rushers I scorn...but how was I to know? I stood there politely, standing aside for several seconds; I made tentative moves forward; I stepped to one side. Yet it was not until I actually attempted to enter the elevator that these brainmushed ambulatory vacuum tubes realized they needed to exit and made physical moves in that direction!
I know there are worse things in the world: poverty, child abuse, famine, lots of etc.'s - but COME ON, PEOPLE - it's NOT THAT HARD*!
copyrighted phrase of Scott DeLorm, used by permission*
But today, I have an ancillary gripe. No less than three times today, I needed the elevator and each time it answered my summons, people were inside. So I stood aside, hesitating, yet the people in the car made no moves, no signs of realization, no reactions - utterly nothing. Therefore, I stepped forward and made preliminary motions to enter the elevator car, at which time the occupants WOKE UP! CAME BACK TO EARTH! whatever they'd been doing, realized that they wanted to depart, rather than enjoy my stop as a midway post in their journey, and started trying to exit, by which time I was halfway over the threshold, thus becoming (in their minds) one of the elevator-rushers I scorn...but how was I to know? I stood there politely, standing aside for several seconds; I made tentative moves forward; I stepped to one side. Yet it was not until I actually attempted to enter the elevator that these brainmushed ambulatory vacuum tubes realized they needed to exit and made physical moves in that direction!
I know there are worse things in the world: poverty, child abuse, famine, lots of etc.'s - but COME ON, PEOPLE - it's NOT THAT HARD*!
copyrighted phrase of Scott DeLorm, used by permission*
4 Comments:
I'm with you, Helly: I flare up in righteous anger when someone tries to board an elevator when someone else is trying to get out. That's just plain wrong! Philistines!
By
Topcat, at 8:07 AM
I am with you too. I hate the rushers. Someone needs to publish a manual on Elevator Etiquette. It would prohibit people from talking on cell phones in a 5x5 space. And you know what else I love? Those people who take the elevator to the second floor, or those who take it DOWN from the 2nd floor.
But I'm not going to lie, I'm one of those people, when I hear people coming, I hit the door close button.
By
A Margarita, at 9:08 AM
You hit the door close button?? Now who's Evil?
"rather than joy my stop as a midway post in my journey" - I think all the funny of the story just radiates from that line outward!
By
Anonymous Me, at 11:45 AM
I don't hit the door close button unless I feel that I can successfully fake trying to reach for the door open button (i.e., when I'm alone aboard the elevator) but often I walk very slowly so people on board won't hold the elevator for me - I'd rather wait for the next one and ride up alone instead of squishing aboard with a crowd of strangers.
By
Helly, at 12:20 PM
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