The other day, I was talking to my officemate Mae about elevators and the observations I've made based on my experiences with people on them. I thought it would be fun making doodles, so here they are!
1. "Thank you" is always a good thing
Is it no longer common practice to say thank you when someone thoughtfully holds the elevator door for you? In our case, since our condo elevators are the fastest in the whole wide world (sarcasm), and all the residents know it, me holding the door for you means I saved you at least 5 to 10 minutes of waiting time. I'm not saying you should kiss my feet or invite me over for lunch but a simple "thank you" would be nice - just saying!
 |
| Shall I do this instead? |
2. Help for my full hands
So I go to the nearby grocery, planning to buy a carton of milk and some bread. I come home with 3 full paper bags because it's always good to stock your home, people! Anyway, I say "12 please" to the guy standing nearest to the control panel and...nothing. I try again, this time being more precise - "please press the button marked 12" vs. "12 what? days of Christmas?", with better results. In the same way, I feel sorry whenever someone who obviously could use some help gets on the elevator and shimmies awkwardly to try and press their floor button. If I happen to be standing near the buttons, I normally ask "What floor?" but the truth is, 2 out of 5 times, I've been met with strange or blank looks. I'm not a stalker, okay? Just trying to be helpful. Maybe these are isolated cases but just the same - really?!
 |
| Ok, a bit of an exaggeration (my teeth aren't THAT strong), but you get the point. |
3. No to collision
Ah, my favorite. The elevator doors open and there's a person, right smack in the middle, all up in yo' face! Why? Please tell me why you think it's a good idea to stand thisclose to the doors and scramble in hurriedly as soon as they open (is there something chasing you? are your pants on fire?). This phenomenon is also seen in train stations, as evidenced by Singapore's Kindness Movement and the existence of some independent, fed-up civilians.
 |
| I'm kidding. |
4. Plus points for politeness
My husband makes it a habit to say "Good morning/afternoon" to anyone in the elevator when he gets on. I can understand how this simple act can quickly change the atmosphere and improve it in spades. Clearly, it's much more pleasant spending a few seconds/minutes in cramped spaces with a polite stranger than a sulky one. I noticed that my neighbors who are foreigners (Hi, Jack!) are more inclined to do this greeting thing than residents who are Pinoy. When I was still living in Singapore, saying hi/hello in elevators was very common too. I even remember one Indian neighbor I had back in Serangoon who would always make small talk ("Nice shoes", "Beautiful weather", etc.) whenever we happen to take the elevator together in the morning. Of course, this may be an unwelcome thing for some - especially for those who need a shot of coffee first to be a person - but I thought it was a friendly gesture.
 |
| Say hello. What's the worst that can happen, right? |
If you find yourself about to use an elevator, make someone's day - say Good Day, hold the door, don't stand so close and breathe heavily! I'm sure you'll make a good impression :-)
Happy Monday!
No comments:
Post a Comment