Pressing “Up” When Going Down (and vice-versa)

I am sure many of us have experienced this.

We are in a rush. We need to get to the 24th floor. We step into an elevator (or lift), willing it to move fast to the 24th floor. Yes, there may be a few stops along the way for the others in the lift with you…. we can’t help that... We are fidgeting, looking up at the indicator wishing the lift would move faster, pressing the “close door” button as soon as someone steps out.

Lo and behold, the lift then stops at the 22nd floor but wait…, no one pressed the 22nd floor! The doors open and the chap outside says “…oh…its ok, I am going down”. In your heart you are thinking “its not #*%#ing ok!”. Why the dickens did you press the “up” button then!!? Of course, the lift eventually reaches the 24th floor and you go for your appointment slightly flustered as you consider another episode of inconsiderate behaviour.

Have you ever felt that? I certainly have. I have witnessed myself a fair number of times, people who routinely press both “up” & “down” buttons for the lift even if they know they are going in just the one direction. Why? It appears that there is this “belief” that the lift would arrive faster by doing this. Yes, perhaps they do believe that but such behaviour just shows that they could not be bothered about inconveniencing others in the lift which had to stop at their floor without reason.

Yes, yes, yes, I am aware that the 5 seconds this takes is not such a big deal in the larger scheme of things. But what really gets my knickers in a twist (yes, I do wear knickers sometimes) is that it just represents another case of inconsiderate behaviour. “I want the lift to get here faster.” “I couldn’t give a toss about the impact of what I do on those poor twits in the lift already.”

Well, all incidents that indicate a lack of consideration make me shake my head… but this is one that I encounter all too frequently so I thought I’d write about it…

Sigh, another instance where we consider the inconsiderate ….