When it comes to observing people, places and things, one definitely needs a sense of humor. Every day, we see a multitude of events and interactions that may or may not register with us. But…every once in a while, something tickles our funny bone to the point that we will forever relish the memory of that moment when we seized fate by the hand and took unsuspecting and seemingly innocent bystanders down that fateful path to the unknown.
This series of articles are about those events……the ones that leave you laughing, shaking your head in wonder, perplexed or just plain speechless.
Elevator Encounters, Part 2
Building on the theme of elevator etiquette from last time, let’s consider how we enter and / exit elevators. One thing that has always astounded me is what happens when elevator doors open. Let’s look at this from 3 perspectives: the riders waiting to embark, the riders waiting to disembark and the silent observer watching the events unfold.
In the movie “Michael”, starring John Travolta as the unkempt angel Michael. There is a scene where Michael describes how the concept of forming lines occurred. He talks about people milling around, without order, wandering to and fro, and that is when the concept of forming a line comes to him. It made perfect sense, and voila!! Keep the thought of orderly waiting in mind as we move through the scenarios that I am about to describe.
Think back to earlier today, or earlier in the week while you were waiting for the elevator to arrive on your floor for embarkation. Where were you standing when the elevator doors opened? Ah-ha!!! I caught you, didn’t I….standing right in front of the doors, waiting anxiously for them to open. Now, the doors open and what happens… …she asks coyly. We stand there, clearly offended that the people who are getting off, or trying to get on, the elevator are in our way.
Now, let’s turn the tables….we are the passengers waiting to get off the elevator. We know that when the doors open, people will most likely be anxiously waiting to get on the elevator and will most likely be standing right in front of the doors, blocking our point of egress. If you are on my elevator, we will have most likely sung a song or I would have ‘chatted you up” to ease the uncomfortable silence, so this may not be a problem. But under “normal” circumstances, each group will have those that don’t move, some that will stand to one side and then there are those that will plough right through the crowd in each direction to reach their destination. Hmmm, normal….such a great topic for another discussion.
Is this a contest to see who can move the fastest or weave their way through the jumble of people the best? What is the prize? Who invented this? How can we avoid this barrier to our goal? I have a few thoughts on this matter because I have been the offended passenger waiting to disembark and I have been the offended impending passenger waiting to embark.
From the observer’s vantage point, the whole scene almost plays out like the Keystone Cops. If you are not familiar with the Keystone Cops, please take a moment to “google” or “youtube” them and watch some of the funniest scenes play out.
From a distance, there seems to be an answer. The people disembarking the elevator need room to exit so that the people waiting to embark can comfortably get on the elevator. So, those that are waiting to embark might stand in to one side or the other, or even parting like the Red Sea works very nicely.
A few things that I discovered seem to work every time:
- If I am waiting to get on the elevator, I stand to one side and try to be the first passenger on the elevator to hold the “door open” button. I also will ask what floor people are going to and will press the appropriate button.
- If I am getting off the elevator, I always make it a point to hold the “door open” button so that it doesn’t close on any passengers. I am typically the last one off the elevator.
- I always try to be courteous of our senior citizens and assist any elderly passengers to get in first so they can choose the best location for their safety and comfort.
The next time you have the opportunity to be the silent observer, I urge you to take that moment to watch and listen to what is happening and then to feel the emotions that are certain to reveal themselves. You may find yourself laughing at the Keystone Cops and chuckling off and on all day, or you may find yourself with another kind of realization. Whatever your experience, take it with you and share it. There is something so special about sharing a funny story or a touching story. We can make a difference in someone’s day……and that someone may be ourselves.
Kindness is contagious. Feel free to spread it far and wide. You never know when it will come back to visit you.
Susan Shonk -- Daily Venus Diva.
Again, I think it’s a shy and retiring redhead thing, because I am like you. I like to get in first to hold the open button then make sure everyone’s floor button is pushed. I also like being the last one off to hold the doors open. The elevator seems to be this tiny version of the world in general and it’s fun to watch how other people deal with them.
~ Layla