How To Be Elevator-Zen
Hello there! Hope you all had a fantabulous weekend!
How did I enjoy my weekend? Well, I’m glad you asked. Apart from being incredibly busy celebrating my lovely wife’s birthday, there was also a little bit of time to watch some awesome Ellen videos. Yep, Ellen’s my go-to! Anyway, we decided to watch a few of her monologues, I really love those! Her airplane etiquette bit was hilarious, and naturally it got me thinking about blog stuff. Sadly I haven’t been on an airplane in a while, so my wisdom in that area is a bit rusty. But, I do always enjoy writing an etiquette type post. So, what was I going to write about? Then it came to me, elevator etiquette, of course! This is a post I’ve been thinking about for quite a while now, so I decided it was time to share my elevator knowledge with the world. Chandler (my walker) has definitely helped me in the elevator research department. Now that I almost always need to find one when I’m out and about, I’ve seen plenty of them in the past few months! So, here come my Zoey valuated Tips … although, I’m doing this one a bit differently. I shall separate my tips into three parts: beginning (getting into the elevator), middle (standing in the elevator), and end (getting out). Let’s see how this goes…
How to Be Elevator-Zen
Beginning – Okay, so! You’ve pressed the button and are waiting for your lift to arrive. I always try to remember to stand not directly in front of the door, so people can easily get out. Once the elevator’s empty, try to assess how many people are getting in with you. People with a walker, wheelchair, etc… they go first (not just because that’s me hehe). Everyone else goes in and stands close to the wall, leaving the open space in the middle for the next elevator-peeps. Now, here’s a bit of a controversial one… seeing someone running to catch the elevator. Most people say that it’s so important to hold the doors for them. I mean, otherwise it seems rude, right? Well, I believe that there are two sides to this. Yes, it’s definitely very nice of you to hold the doors, BUT it also makes the person feel like they have to run to relieve you of this duty. Lots of pressure, for some people I think. No idea really what the best solution is, so this I shall leave up to all of you smart readers of mine. In other words, this can be a judgement call, as they say.
Middle – Standing in a very small space with multiple complete strangers? Sounds fun, doesn’t it? Similar to riding on a bus, it’s so important to stay in your own space. My personal rule with this: try to stay as far from strangers as you would want them to stand from you. In other words, personal bubble, breathing space… always good things! So, now you’re standing, what’s next? If you are close to the button panel, asking your fellow-elevator-peeps which floor they’re going to, is super helpful. They will always appreciate it, one less thing for them to worry about! Because, let’s be honest, they must be just as unsure about all of this as you are. Small talk? Definitely not super necessary. A simple “hey” or “good morning” should do the trick when you join your elevator buddies. Another thing, if you’re stuck at the back of the tiny space and notice that your floor is before others, letting fellow-riders know … very helpful.
End – Reached your floor? People closest to the door leave first, if at all possible that is. If you’re still stuck at the back, squeaking a quick “excuse me” should do. Okay, it doesn’t have to be a squeak per se, but I guess just not screaming is key. Again, mobility aid users should go first. Then, hopefully those waiting outside have also followed my number 1 tip. If not… well, it’s a vicious cycle, my friends
There ya have it, folks, my personal tiny tidbits of advice for elevator usage. Not sure if they will bring you to the “Elevator-Zen” place I mention in my title, but hopefully at least it shall bring you closer to that magical (yet, potentially-not-even-possible) place.
Do you have any of your own tips to share, or any elevator share-worthy stories? Go ahead and spill in the comments below!
Thanks for reading, guys!