The rules to follow in an elevator are obscure to many people. Should you keep the door open? Should you speak to the other passengers or should you also avoid eye contact? For some, an elevator ride can be a stressful situation, due to claustrophobia, fear of heights, and social anxiety. Whether you are at work, at university, or living in an apartment in a high-rise building, being nice on the elevator is never a bad idea. People take about 120 billion elevator trips every year, but some still have no idea what the rules are. Below are some useful steps to inform you about the good manners to keep in the elevator, so that you and the other passengers can enjoy a pleasant journey.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Follow Good Manners in the Elevator When Getting On Board
Step 1. Stay on the right
While waiting for the elevator, stay away from the doors. Someone may need to go out to your floor, and you should always avoid getting in their way before getting on board. Keep to the right of the doors so that the left and middle parts remain available to those who have to get off the elevator. Don't get on board until everyone has got out.
Step 2. If it's not a nuisance, keep the door open
This point still remains a matter of debate: should you do it or not? In making this decision, let yourself be guided by the following tips:
- Do not keep the door open if you are in an elevator full of people. You would delay attendees and force another person to get crammed into a tight space.
- If you are alone in the elevator, it is a good idea to keep the door open for a person about to enter.
- Do not keep the door open for a friend or colleague who has made a quick detour, for example to have a coffee or go to the toilet. In a crowded elevator, never keep the door open for more than 15-20 seconds.
Step 3. Don't try to force yourself into a full elevator
If you notice after the doors have opened, don't try to enter at all costs when there is no room for you. If you've been waiting in line and the elevator gets full after the person in front of you gets on, wait patiently for the next one.
Don't ask for the door to be held open for you. If you can't get to the elevator before the doors have closed, wait politely for the next one instead of being rude. The time of the person in the elevator is as important as yours
Step 4. Press the keys
If you are near the buttons, be available to press them for anyone who asks you to do so. You could also ask someone who has just entered which floor they are headed to.
Don't ask someone else to push the button for you, unless you're obviously unable to reach it on your own
Step 5. Move to the back
When you get into an elevator, move to the rear so that others can board, behind you, or to another floor. If you are the last person to leave, stay as far away from the door as possible. If you are traveling to the ground floor or the higher one, it is best that you keep your distance from the doors after getting on board. This way you will avoid annoying other passengers.
If you happen to have to travel to the front, make sure you get out of the elevator when the doors open on each floor. In this position, hold the elevator door with one hand as the people at the back exit
Step 6. Exit quickly
When you reach the floor you are headed to, get out quickly so that you don't get in the way of those about to board. Don't worry about letting other people out first, unless they're already getting off. Just go out quickly and orderly. On the other hand, don't push your way through and don't run over anyone.
If you are in the back, announce that you are about to descend, as you are approaching your floor. A simple "Excuse me, the next plan is mine" is enough. Then head to the exit or wait for the elevator to stop
Step 7. Consider taking the stairs
When you have to overcome one, two or three floors, take the stairs instead of the elevator. Unless you are injured or unable to climb stairs, or are carrying some heavy object, you shouldn't take the elevator only one floor. Using it for two or three floors, especially when traffic is heavy, is also considered a sign of rudeness. Reserve the elevator for people who have to cross several floors or who are unable to climb stairs.
Step 8. Respect the queues
If the elevator is so busy that a queue has formed, never skip it - wait your turn like anyone else. If you're in a hurry, try to get there earlier, or take the stairs.
Method 2 of 2: Follow Good Elevator Manners while Traveling
Step 1. Speak in moderation
One of the biggest questions about elevator manners is whether or not it is appropriate to have small conversations. Most people are reluctant to start a conversation in the elevator. If you really have to talk, break the ice politely. It never hurts to say "Hello" or "Hello".
- If you are in company, do not carry on a conversation if someone else is present during the trip. Pause the chat until you have reached your destination.
- If you want to talk to a colleague in the elevator, keep the tone of the conversation light. While in the elevator, never gossip or discuss private or personal matters.
Step 2. Respect other people's space
There is nothing more annoying than someone standing ten centimeters from you in a half-empty elevator. If it is crowded, allow as much space as possible without crowding others. When in the elevator, follow these rules:
- If there are one or two people in addition to you, stand on different sides of the elevator.
- If there are four people, stand on each corner.
- If there are five or more people, spread out so that everyone enjoys the same space.
Step 3. Face the front
Making eye contact, smiling, and nodding are appropriate actions when boarding. Then, turn around and face the door. Turning your back to the door and facing other passengers is a serious breach of etiquette and can put some people in considerable embarrassment.
Step 4. Keep all objects close to your feet
When carrying briefcases, purses, backpacks, grocery bags or other bulky material, keep it down directly in front of or next to you. The legs take up less space than the upper body, so there is more room for bags at the bottom.
If you stand at the bottom of the elevator carrying a bulky object, announce that you are about to get off when your floor approaches, and if you happen to accidentally bump into someone, apologize
Step 5. Never talk on your cell phone
A serious gaffe you can commit in an elevator is talking on your cell phone while traveling. End each conversation before entering the elevator and enter silent mode until you exit again.
Step 6. Don't move too much
Elevators provide limited space and, in busy office buildings, several people try to get into a single elevator. Unnecessary movements can disturb other passengers or cause unwanted body contact. Shaking your leg, pacing back and forth, moving your arms, or making other movements can make you bump into other passengers rudely.
Texting or looking at the phone is a common way of avoiding eye contact with strangers. Either way, don't text in a crowded elevator. Handling the phone requires some space, which is limited in an elevator, and the movement could cause you to bump into someone
Step 7. Think about smells
You should practice personal hygiene on a daily basis, but especially if you take the elevator regularly. Small, cramped spaces can direct attention to any type of body odor. During an elevator ride, try not to burp or flatulence. If you still happen to do this, apologize. Do not take particularly strong smelling foods into the elevator or, at the very least, place them in a container. Never eat in the elevator. Do not use perfumes or lotions. What is a normal smell to you may be nauseating to someone else.
Advice
- Kindness can go a long way. Whenever the situation calls for it, say "sorry", "thank you" and "please".
- It is increasingly common to ask someone to step aside, in case they are blocking the doors on your way out.
- If you see someone in an elevator you would rather not be in close contact with alone, wait for the next trip.
- You may meet people who have no regard for good manners. Ignore it or ask them to stop if they are bothering you.
- Don't press all the buttons, no matter how great the temptation to do so may be. If there are children in the elevator, do not allow them to press all the buttons.
