My Personal Elevator Everest (and How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Talk in Elevators)
We’ve all been there. Packed like sardines in a metal box hurtling vertically, desperately trying to avoid eye contact with strangers. It’s the elevator, that awkward social experiment we endure multiple times a day. And it’s riddled with unspoken rules.
I distinctly remember my first “elevator faux pas.” I was running late for a job interview (already a recipe for disaster), squeezed into a crowded elevator, and accidentally let out a very audible, “Oh, thank goodness, I thought I’d be late!” Cue the judgmental stares of my fellow passengers. It was then I realized the unspoken rule: Thou shalt not speak in the elevator.
Decoding Elevator Etiquette: The Silent Treatment and Other Myths
The “no talking” rule is just the tip of the iceberg. Let’s unpack (pun intended) some more, shall we?
- Eye Contact Conundrum: Don’t look! But also, don’t stare at the floor like you’re casing the joint! Find that sweet spot of absolutely zero eye contact with anyone, which, let’s be honest, is basically impossible.
