To determine whether you should board the car, determine if there is enough room for you and your buffer space. As a rule of thumb, there should be room for two people for every one that is attempting to board.
During high traffic times, you may find it necessary to board a car that is crowded. If there is not a verbal invitation to board, the passengers may welcome you by making room for you, consider that an invitation to board. If you are with someone else, do not assume that the invitation stands for all of you. It may be necessary to split up and agree to meet at your destination floor.
>> Continue to: Boarding – Who’s on First? …
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
BY MYSELF I WOULD DEFINITELY ACCEPT THE INVITATION/BUT IF I’M WITH A GROUP TO ME ITS GOOD TO ALL STICK TOGETHER UNLESS IT DOES NOT PERMIT THEN SPLITTING IN EVEN NUMBERS AS POSSIBLE/
Many people don’t realize that if you’re pushing a wheelchair, the best way to enter an elevator is to back in, pulling the wheelchair so the occupant faces the door. This not only makes it easier for you both to exit, but it prevents jamming the footrests into people’s ankles — if you shuffle backwards as you pull the chair aboard, you shouldn’t step on any toes. It also gives the wheelchair occupant the opportunity to face the door like everyone else instead of having to stare at crotches.
Marilynne, I like your style
Am I the only one who, when in an elevator too crowded for another person to enter, says, “Next car please!” to people who want to get on? (I assume I picked that up from numerous old movies.) It’s an appealingly old-fashioned phrase, sort of like “Post No Bills”.
so much for elevators. now, please tackle the big-one, yes, i do mean the ever annoying, CELL PHONE!
Regarding personal space on the elevator, my personal space is invaded even when this particular person is off. Their strong perfume bath is not ONLY unbearable when they are on it but lingers after they’ve gotten off. I’ve gone so far and to not get on the elevator that they are on pretending to have forgotten something!
Ok so I was on my way to look at the 07 lotus elises at the minneapolis car show as I was planning on purchasing one shortly. I entered a semi croweded elvator but there was room for a few more people. So we stop at another parking garrage level to pick someone up. The doors open and theres these two huge people like 6′ 5″ and about 300lbs a peice. We looked at them they looked at us then we all starded laughing (us and them) as the middle aged man pressed the door close button.
was anyone disrespectfull?
Who gives a verbal invitation to board?
What about people who form a crowd that are WAITING for the elevator and give no regard to people who have been waiting longer than them. If they just walked in the door to the elevator bank and theres 15 other people waiting, they just shove their way to the front of the group and think they’re entitled to get on first???!?! Drives me insane and nothing in this article touches on that – why not?