[Ahmad]

[quote quote=873672]On the subject of greetings, on the continent almost everyone greets each other in the lift with a Bongiorno or whatever. Those that just grunt or say nothing are usually Brits I’ve found![/quote]

And the correct etiquette in Saudi Arabia used to be to turn your back towards veiled women in elevators, even if it meant facing the wall!! Wonder whether it will now change with the lifting of the ban on driving …

[MartynSinclair]

I never noticed this until someone told me & now I always seem to check whenever I get in a lift..

If you enter a lift and there is only one person, who will generally be in the middle – you will each move to the side furthest from one another.

If there are 2 people in a lift and a third person enters, generally the 3rd person will stand in the middle with the 2 others on the side.

4 people tend to use the corners and if a 5th person gets in, they will take the middle ground.

This wont happen every time, but I notice it happens more often than not, especially between strangers..

[simeoncox]

Being the size of a small cathedral (2m, 150kg, shiny dome), my problems in elevators are few; people certainly hesitate entering the elevator and often back right away, leaving me uncrowded. If they do enter, there is a prolonged and muted silence. Mirrored carriages are a boon – I can see all those surreptitious side-long glances afforded me on my way from the upper reaches of the hotel. I smile pleasantly when some poor prawn sets off the overload alarm and scowls at me, already ensconced at the rear. Rarely does someone initiate a conversation; if so, it is usually “Where are you from?”, asked in Liliputian awe.

My pet hate, though, is hearing the sound of floor chimes in the room I occupy, so I do insist when booking, and again at reception, that my request for the room furthest from the elevator has been met. I also ask about wedding parties staying on the same floor.

A child in the elevator with all buttons pressed earns a special growl, and if the parent claims them, the mirrors come in handy for my not-so-surrepticious displeasure.

[nevereconomy]

LuganoPirate – still some of the Paternoster lifts around despite the dubious safety record – Sheffield University I believe has the last in the UK. I am sure some still in Germany and E. Europe – they were always popular in government buildings – fun once you got used to them – no worries of lift etiquette on them as everyone was concentrating on getting on and off alive!

[trident3]

Breaking wind in lifts…. that’s just wrong on every level!

[nevereconomy]

Being of a somewhat controlling nature (in the nicest possible way,I am told) I like to stand by the floor buttons and ask everyone where they are going. This avoids mistaken stops and the need for anyone of questionable personal hygiene reaching past me.

[canucklad]

My favourite “elevator” story is the one told by the British comedian (possibly Kevin Bridges, but can’t remember) who travelled to Las Vegas for a gig…..

Jet lagged and dishevelled he checked in and headed to his room. Entering the “lift” he stood to the right , directly in front of the buttons…..before he could press his floor , someone asked what floor he wanted……… “27” he replied and up the lift went !!

Next morning , he entered the lift along with a stranger in a smart suit…….

Standing in the same place as the night before , he verbally instructed the lift to take him to the “ground floor”, after 2 attempts , he then emphasised the word “ LOBBY” …..

Still no movement…… his frustrated companion , then took charge and hit the buttons ….located directly in front of him , on the left side !!
Our hapless comedian , now realizing that the lift had 2 sets of buttons maintained an embarrassed awkward silence as the lift descended.

Later on in the day, whilst at the reception desk, he spotted his suited companion on the phone…… He could hear the hotel manager exasperated request for ……

“What do you mean I can’t get voice activated elevators ……..they’ve got them in the UK “

[Charles-P]

Once in New York many years ago I entered a lift in an office building, I greeted the woman occupant with what I thought was a cheery “Good morning” to receive in reply,

“Keep away, I have mace!”. Since then I have preferred the polite nod and smile approach

[FDOS_UK]

[quote quote=874487]“Keep away, I have mace!”. Since then I have preferred the polite nod and smile approach[/quote]

Obviously a woman with good judgment 😉

[Charles-P]

‘canucklad’

Voice activated Scottish lifts

[AisleSeatTraveller]

[quote quote=874496]‘canucklad’

Voice activated Scottish lifts

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[/quote]

since seeing this a number of years ago I can not say the number without a slight scottish tang

[alainboy56]

Amusing comments by all of you.

In the sandpit where I live, there is a large proportion of fellow lift travellers who on entering any lift automatically say “Salam alleikum”. This I have taken up with educated people here on a jokey level, and said that if I walked into a lift in UK or Europe and said “May the peace of God be with you” some might think I had a quick tipple or two, and others may even be tempted to quickly exit the lift or elevator. It is generally used instead of Good Morning or Good Day, and more as a friendly greeting they tell me. So used like ‘Hey’ in USA or ‘awritemate’ (say it fast) on London streets?? No perhaps not.

On lift etiquette, as others have said, a cursory nod or a under breath greeting such as good morning is suffice for me. It depends on the circumstances and the your company. Sometimes with perhaps just an older couple (I have to tread carefully here being of somewhat senior years myself), I become less of a G.O.B. (@captonianm), and more bright and breezy with a solid ‘Good Morning’ greeting to their faces. There might even be one or two further brief exchanges. The risk comes when you are in two only, as I found myself last month in London, with as it turned out, a Portuguese guy, who insisted on chatting about the impending World Cup. Arrrrghh I was trapped for what seemed an eternity.

[Author]

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