Talking and Singing
Conversations in the elevator are generally discouraged, however, it is acceptable to continue a conversation that was started before boarding as long as it is not clearly irritating others in the car. Avoid lewd jokes and topics that could offend others. If you feel the other passengers are not enjoying your discussion STOP talking and continue when you have arrived at your destination floor.
When talking on an elevator be considerate, talk softly and do not assume that everyone in the car cares about what you are saying.
If your personality dictates that you must start a conversation with complete strangers, start with light discussion about weather or current events. Avoid topics that may get cut off when one of you reaches their destination floor. Gentlemen should use extra caution when starting conversations with women they do not know – especially if the elevator is in a parking garage or empty building.
If passengers board while conversing, DO NOT think this is an invitation to join their conversation. Do not cut in unless you are invited to join the discussion.
Do not make fun of people when they get off the elevator. You never know if other passengers in the car know the person.
Singing, humming and whistling are generally discouraged. If you are wearing headphones, they should be turned down to a level that cannot be heard by other passengers.
>> Continue to: Once the Doors Close – Touching and Closeness …
October 4th, 2005 at 3:24 pm
There is an associate of my gal pal Jill, lets call her Barbie. Barbie has special needs. Whenever Barbie rides an elevator, she will whistle the first seven notes of “It’s a Small World” incessantly. Sometimes, Barbie will try and get people to sing along as she whistles…and then gets mad when people ask her to stop. Some people are so inconsiderate of those with special needs.
December 16th, 2005 at 4:33 pm
Be certain that others do not want to hear your cellphone conversation. What’s important to you and the person on the other end we couldn’t care less about. Call the person back at an appropriate time.
December 17th, 2005 at 8:52 am
i personally like to sing carly simon’s “you’re so vain”.
January 19th, 2006 at 11:25 am
Personally, hum along to some death metal and bob my head violently, but more joyful than singing…I like to fart… a nice quiet one and then look over at someone near me in disgust as if they did it.
January 19th, 2006 at 12:50 pm
What direction should you face when you are in the elevator. Is it okay to just face the wall?
January 19th, 2006 at 1:32 pm
One shouldn’t talk on the elevator about: others they work with in the elevator, the names or information of clients, any proprietary information of a client or business, even on elevators within a company, personal information of one’s self or others.
January 19th, 2006 at 2:51 pm
hahaha….good idea…i should just face the wall the next time im in an elevator…see if anyone notices…
honestly, who cares if they can hear my music? i listen to good music. they should like it. otherwise they do not live.
January 19th, 2006 at 5:35 pm
Especially, do not talk politics. You could have others joining the conversation and turning it into an angry verbal exchange.
January 21st, 2006 at 1:23 am
There’s an absolutely hilarious story that ex-Detroit Piston Isiah Thomas tells. Allegedly, he and a teammate once were in an elevator and, when the doors closed, he said “Hit the floor lady.” She did. Only she didn’t touch any buttons…she hit the floor by getting on her hands and knees. Thomas said he and his buddy just howled, and the woman was utterly embarassed. (Hope they picked up her tab at the hotel restaurant that night!)
January 22nd, 2006 at 12:44 pm
If with a companion, I try to tell a story with a punch line timed for after we exit. An alternative is confusion: one of the best was describing a child’s sickness and saying his temperature was perfectly normal 96.8 as we got off. Yes, I know this is evil, but I am otherwise so powerless in life.
January 22nd, 2006 at 12:58 pm
When my hubby and I are on vacation, we just love to start conversations with people on elevators. It’s so much more fun than the uncomfotable silence that happens on most elevator rides. In a crowdwd elevator, it’s fun to say,”The reason I asked you all to be here today is…” I see nothing wrong with this; it’s fun and usually elicits laughter and smiles from people who need it!
January 22nd, 2006 at 1:13 pm
In response to Brian’s queary: Always face Mecca when you are in an elevator. (I think it’s toward the East or something, unless you are east of mecca, in which case it’s toward the west. Or still toward the East eventually, if you consider the earth is round!
January 22nd, 2006 at 8:26 pm
I live in Finland and lots of our elevators are from 60:s and 70:s. Sometimes when there are some ennoying people onboard i use to whisper to my friend “be very very quaiet, i maintained this car last sunday..removed 8 rosted bolts, but didn´t have any newones with me..so the cable is attached with 4..but it should be ok” And i tell you, it is very quaiet all the way down. Yes i am a wicked man.
January 24th, 2006 at 6:10 pm
My girlfriend like to make out and grope each other on crowded elevators. It’s fun for us and entertaining for other passengers.
January 27th, 2006 at 10:23 pm
I get enraged when people hit a button for their floor more than once or even after another person has hit the same button .. and I let them know about my anger in no uncertain terms. Example: .. a person gets in an elevator in which I am a passenger and hits the “4″ button twice .. In a very disturbed sounding loud voice, I will declare for all to hear ..
“OH NO!! NOW YOU’VE GONE AND DONE IT .. WE’RE GOING TO THE EIGHTH FLOOR .
February 6th, 2006 at 12:31 am
One of my favorite things to do in a a ccrowded elevator is to stare, grinning, at another passenger for a while,and then announce, “I’ve got new socks on!” The responses are a hoot!
February 12th, 2006 at 10:48 am
An elevator joke (almost):
A family from deep in the country are on one of their rare visits to the city, and are in a large department store. While the mother goes to look round the dress department the father and son are stood chatting by an elevator. Having never seen or even heard of an elevator before they are intrigued to see two elderly ladies approach, press a button on the wall and then enter a small empty room where they press another button. The doors close and the two men discuss what the room could possibly be for. A minute or so later the doors open again and out step two young ladies. I an awed tone the father says to his son – “quick – go and get your mother!”
February 12th, 2006 at 12:14 pm
Suddenly I realise how long it is since I’ve actually taken a lift (sorry, elevator)…
And yes, I have a sneaking feeling that AmericanBoomer is actually another Brit, who’s being ironic.
February 12th, 2006 at 7:18 pm
Is it acceptable to perform microgravity experiments on an elevator due to the slightly changed weight effect on starting and stopping? Also when the car is decending shouldn’t it be called a depressor rather than an elevator?
February 14th, 2006 at 7:53 am
I live in Sweden and I have noticed that in the USA for instance passangers in a elevator all seems to face the door. This would be considered extremely unpolite in Sweden – and the rest of Europe, I believe. In a lift in Sweden everybody tries not to turn ones back to anybody; the result is that most people stand with their backs to the walls. When the lift is very full this is of course difficult and one has to fill the middle of the lift the “American” way. Very seldom lifts are so crowded though, since we don’t have so many tower blocks….and people prefer moving staircases. It is also considered well mannered to talk a little bit about some light-weight subject.
February 15th, 2006 at 2:22 am
But the elevator music is just so catchy, How cant you sing? Your crazy, especialy if you are in a band, you tend to make up alot of crappy lyrics, But who gives a crap?
February 22nd, 2006 at 2:31 am
What politically correct moron came up with some of these rules? Some of them are simply good common sense, and others seem like some west coast idiot came up with the rest.
February 27th, 2006 at 4:38 am
To sciencenurd,
In response to your comment, my friends and I used to try one of those micro gravity experiments when we were kids. If we were alone in the lift, we’d jump up as soon as it’d stop to see if we’d feel any different
It was just a rumour someone started that you could feel weightless if you did that. But if you really want to try antigravity, try Salalah.
March 2nd, 2006 at 12:57 pm
What is the most accepted standard for which way you face? When I get on, if it is mostly full and I am nearest the door, I stand with my back to the door so that I am not rudely turning my back on people. My wife tells me that it is rude to “confront” them this way and it would make them nervous. I should stand facing the doors like everyone else. What do others think?
March 6th, 2006 at 3:27 am
Face the door for sure! Crowded elevators are uncomfortable enough as it is without having someone in your face
March 19th, 2006 at 8:19 am
i think that its better to be stay keep quite in elevator whether your are with your colleages or not… and keep your eyes open cause sometimes door can catch you…
April 13th, 2006 at 4:01 pm
Here is something for everone to chew on. According to dumblaws.com, “while riding in an elevator, one must talk to no one, and fold his hands while looking toward the door.”
Seriously?
June 15th, 2006 at 4:56 am
I have to say, unless you are in a huge office block with a half an hour journey in a lift or something, whistling or talking in a lift is a fairly minor transgression, and is in fact probably far less likely to drive you mad than the lift music itself. Also, I have never seen anyone trying to work whilst in a lift, so you aren’t really disturbing someone’s productivity.
October 4th, 2006 at 8:17 am
What about speaking another language, other than English in America.
October 20th, 2006 at 8:09 am
whatever, do NOT come off a heavy work shift without washing and enter an elevator. Totally unacceptable.
April 15th, 2007 at 1:36 pm
You did not discuss conversations in languages other than English. Where I worked the people speaking Chinese, Japanese or Vietnamese would all carry on conversations in the elevator while I stood there. I think that is rude and they should wait until they are not in the elevator.
April 15th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
Curious…nothing in this section about where to LOOK while riding the elevator. It seems to be customary for everyone to watch the floor number lights above the door.
April 15th, 2007 at 2:32 pm
comment number one reminds me of my favorite job site prank… no it has nothing to do with an elevator but here it is anyway: i walk the floor whistling (yes i know a whistling woman and a crowing hen shall never a good end meet but this is fun!) ‘if i only had a brain’ from the wizard of oz. about half an hour later, you walk back through and half the crew of every trade is whistling it or humming it! HILARIOUS!!! and no, i dont have anything better to do! LOL
April 15th, 2007 at 2:44 pm
You guys are worried about crowded elevators, try riding a crowded freight car with construction workers that are going home it’s like a traveling sardine can.
April 15th, 2007 at 2:51 pm
David says to watch the floor lights but in our passenger cars we installed monitors that has certain headlines from weather to news to sports along with when we will be having fire drills or anything else in the building.
April 15th, 2007 at 4:01 pm
Kenny brings up another subject that is irritating – having to be entertained every moment of our lives with the t.v. – on the bus, at the bank driveup windows, no, not the elevator, too!? I like to stand at the back to lean against the wall and normally close my eyes to rest on the ride up to work on the 11th floor. My naptime! lol!
April 15th, 2007 at 4:38 pm
Pleaz don’t chat on your cell phone! Not everyone wants to hear what you’re having for dinner or how your date was the previous nite.
April 15th, 2007 at 5:35 pm
The deal with the repeated same floor button pushing that so many people have trouble with is that while the elevator won’t go any faster, the door will close sooner. The logic is that the elevator “realizes” that someone new has boarded and has had time to press the button. Not all elevators do this but it works in a surprising number of them worldwide.
April 16th, 2007 at 2:54 pm
ever seen grey’s anatomy…..oh the things that go on in the elevator
May 4th, 2007 at 12:29 pm
My co-worker Clay began eating a banana on the elevator with others on board the other day. For some reason it seemed very awkward for everyone riding down. He didn’t see anything wrong with it, but I thought it was weird. Another factor may have been the fact that he offered the peel to me to eat. (he’s a little slow)
June 9th, 2007 at 9:20 am
There nothing more uncomfortable than a silent elevator when several people are in there. Conversation should be done as long as its not gosip, bashing, ect.. However don’t speak in a language differant than what is the default for that contry. When my wife and I would use the elevator in our apartment, sometimes a middle easteren or a hispanic couple comes on boardspeaking english, sees us and switches to their native language. My wife is way taller than I am, so between their smirks, laughs, and the looks we get we know they are talking about us. Suddenly we both switch to German, laugh, look, and smirk back at them. they get the hint and stop.
June 29th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
If you don’t like noise in an elevator, take the stairs. People talks when they feel like it.
September 19th, 2007 at 5:01 pm
I feel it is rude to face others in the elevator. However, for the sake of safety, women have been trained to stand near the button panel and face any man in the elevator. Still, it smacks of rudeness. I believe people should all face the doors. Remember the old elevator operators? “Please step to the rear and face the doors.”
November 8th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
Whenever I see an elevator made by the Schindler company, I like to call it the ‘Shindler’s Lift’.