Having spent over a year working in a tall downtown building, something else has gnawed its way into my small but growing list of pet peeves: elevator courtesy. Elevator riding is an easy process: when the doors open the people inside the elevator get out, and the people waiting outside get in. It's the most efficient way to get in and out of the elevator in the least amount of time. Some people, however, do things their own way. Examples:
- People trying to get into the elevator as soon as the doors open. Uh... kinda hard to fit you in as everyone else is trying to get out.
- People sticking their hand into the closing doors of a fairly full elevator so they can squeeze in. You can't wait twenty seconds for the next car?
- People holding conversations directly in front of elevator doors. The doors open and the people inside can't get out, or if it's empty the people waiting outside can't get in. It doesn't take much to realize a narrow high pedestrian traffic area is not the greatest place to stand around and talk about your troubles at K-Mart this past weekend.
- People who continually mash the "Close Door" button. Calm yourself -- chances are the doors will close within four seconds.
- Or the worst: people who hit the "Close Door" button the second they get into an elevator. In my building you have to take an elevator down to the 40th floor, and then another one to get to the ground floor and exit. I was going to the 40th floor with a fellow intern and a random lady. After exiting the first car, we all walked around to the second bank of elevators. We ended up at opposite ends of the four elevator doors. The set in front of the lady opened, and she got in. My fellow intern and I hurriedly walked to her door, only to have it close in our faces -- we could see the lady quickly mashing the "Close Door" button and averting eye contact away from us.
So the next time you are in our around an elevator, please -- don't be that guy (or gal), and exercise common elevator courtesy.
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