If there was ever a ranking for elevator (lift) etiquette, India would figure right at the bottom.
It’s a pain to catch the lift in the morning at the office. There are many who would get onto the lift from ground floor irrespective of whether it’s going down (towards basement) or up (which is the actual destination for these guys).
The logic is that when it comes from basement, it’s usually full and there is no room to get in. The cycle continues and hence the folks on the ground floor are stranded for a long time and then they start getting onto the lift which is going down.
If you have to go up then you press UP arrow and if you’ve to go down then you press DOWN arrow – the lift makers have arrived at this simple formula but it always amazes me to find that this procedure is alien to many. So there are many who press UP arrow when they’re on upper floors even if they have to go down. Similarly people who have to go up would press DOWN arrow. They seem to think that these arrows are for them to call the lift to their respective floors. There are some who press both – why to take unnecessary risk !!
I bet you have seen (and probably done) people who keep pressing the lift button (up or down) even if it’s pressed. They think that speed of lift is directly proportional to the number of times you press the button. I don’t have a problem with this, rather I find it very cute – it always brings smile on my face.
However, I have a problem with those who sheepishly ask ‘is it going up’ or ‘is it going down’ when lift stops on their floor. For God sake, please see the light on top of the lift when that irritating sound of ding dong comes indicating that the lift has stopped at the floor. And these guys do it over & over again, if only punching on their face did not tantamount to violence !!
There are few who are always on the phone while entering into a lift. Then when the network is poor, they raise their voice gradually, which becomes louder and louder and then becomes shouting. Then the phone is disconnected (what a relief) when they see the people around with an exasperated look, as if something earth shaking just happened.
And then there are these ardent music lovers – usually young girls & boys (or so they think) and courier guys – who would have their ear phones plugged all the time and you wonder why, as everyone else can hear the music loud & clear without them. If nothing else, please improve the taste of music people – you’re not always in a mood for Bhangra beats all the time, particularly Monday mornings !!
Last but not the least, there are those humorous ones, they travel in group of 3-4 like minded folks, crack funny (no it’s not) jokes and laugh deliriously, completely oblivious to the pain inflicted to people around. They make Navjot Singh Siddhu’s laughter so mild in comparison, with no option of changing the TV channel.
It’s sad that millions of Indians suffer everyday and no one is raising their voice. Where is the human rights commission , NGOs, Public right activities ?? I am thinking of starting an online petition to protect my right to go up and down….smoothly and peacefully.
