Have you ever observed people when standing in an elevator? I do every day, as I take the elevator up 4 floors to my office. I absolutely hate standing in an elevator with other people. There always seems to be this weird awkwardness. Some people feel obligated to start up a friendly conversation, while others act like they are at risk for getting some communicable disease. I love it when people ask "4th floor, huh? Which company you with?"
The most interesting observation I have noticed is what people look at when waiting to get to their destination. (Our elevator is almost slower than just taking the stairs, by the way). People always look at the ceiling of the elevator or straight down at the floor. Why? Are they checking for cobwebs? Are they praying, and bowing their heads in reverence? It bugs the crap out of me! What ever happened to just looking straight ahead? Also, people for some reason feel the need to check their watch, or pull out their cell phone while waiting. "Hmmm, did I just miss a call while standing in this deadly quiet elevator?". I guess it is just the things people do to kill time. Sometimes, I want to make a comment like, "man, they really should have thought of a better color for the ceiling, wouldn't you agree?", or "man, you gotta be careful in these elevators, cuz I heard that there are mad rats that periodically run around in here... keep an eye out"
Next time you are in an elevator, watch the people standing around you. Chances are, they won't be looking anywhere but straight up or straight down, with the occaisional cell phone/watch check.
Is is wierd that this bothers me?
Blogs I read...
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Catch Up 2014, er... 201310 years ago
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Whip Em' Out!14 years ago
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About Me
- Ryan
- Recently moved to Clearwater (Tampa area) Florida last year and loving it. I devote my energy to my children, playing baseball, and building businesses.
2 comments:
Not weird at all. When I started my FT job at the U a couple years ago, I had to take the elevator to the top every day. No WAY was I gonna hike up the 5 flights in my heels and pencil skirts. The VERY FIRST thing I noticed about my new surroundings was this elevator problem. Eventually after about six months, the elevator rides felt less awkward. I'd just stare straight ahead of me in a daze. One of my biggest pet peeves was the conversations. Although I didn't mind the nice people themselves, or even the conversations...it was the timing that bugged me. Sometimes you could pace the banter so that you ended on a pleasant note right as you approached their stop/your stop...but most of the time you'd be right in the middle of the conv that you had started, and one of you would need to get off, and so you'd get cut off, and then the door would close and you had to face the rest of the people in the elevator once they got off and the silence was even more awkward than ever. You hear your cheesy little elevator smalltalk echoing in your head and realize how stupid you sounded to these other people, who you have nothing to say to. So then you feel bad.
You can both cure this by picking up your cellphone and making a fake call. But don't make your normal fake talk, start off like this:
"So where was I, oh yeah, the rake. Well this guy was still holding the rake, so I said 'Guy, put down the rake', and he was like 'no WAY I'm putting this rake down'. And I was like 'put down the rake or I'm gonna...' and then he put up the rake like he was gonna swimg at me with it, and I punched him in his clavical. And you know what, it was his rake after all, boy did I feel dumb."
Draw out the story as long as your floor requires, or better yet, get off during the climactic portion of the story and see if anyone follows you to hear the end.
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