THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 28, 1996 TAG: 9607240045
SECTION: REAL LIFE PAGE: K2 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Real Places
SOURCE: BY MARGO MATEAS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 73 lines
AS MUCH torturing as we Americans take about our collective lack of manners, it seems that we're a pretty polite - and wimpy - bunch when we get together on an elevator.
Ever wondered why we ``assume the position'' on the elevator? Why we back ourselves against the wall, straighten up, face forward, fold our hands in front of us like we're in church and look at anything but each other?
Or why we memorize the floor number a zillion times, count the scratches in our briefcase and stare at the floor, wondering how we can look up without catching some unsuspecting soul in the eye or - eek! - starting a conversation? Whether we know it or not, we are following a behavior known as elevator etiquette. This behavior is dictated by something called the ``Phenomenon of Proximity,'' which says that the higher the density of people, the quieter we get.
``We have significant data that indicates people either look at the number indicator or their shoes,'' says Lynn D. Cullen of Schindler Elevator Company, one of the oldest elevator companies in the United States. Cullen points out that the more people there are in a small space, the less people will talk to each other.
``Europeans are much more comfortable with density and space than we are,'' she admits. ``They are used to spending more time close together. Americans need to have more personal space.''
To this end, some of us have become practiced elevator-ites, nimbly riding the endless circuits with nary a chance encounter with our fellow passengers. Aiding us in the ultra-polite zone is a list of actual elevator etiquette published several years ago by Westinghouse Elevator Company in a brochure entitled, ``Taken for Granted - Up Through the Ages,'' which offers safety and etiquette tips for escalator and elevator passengers.
Here are a few pointers culled from Westinghouse and some veteran elevator riders so you can be on your best behavior:
Don't Dare to Stare. Staring is considered aggressive behavior among animals, and it's the same for us. Westinghouse counsels passengers to watch the lighted numbers, not each other.
Avoid push-button fever. And, please, don't shout at the elevator. Yelling at the elevator, says one rider, may actually confuse it. Chill out.
Go Figure. As Rob Chapman, public relations manager at Norfolk Southern says, ``do the math.'' Calculate the existing space in the elevator and add your body volume. If the two don't add up, don't get on.
Restrain yourself. Refrain from things like picking your nose. Don't adjust anything but your tie. Other passengers are close enough to jump you, so politeness really pays off.
Chivalry is dead -- but not forgotten. Most female passengers are grateful to have a man wait for them to get off first, but it may be confusing. If you're the first one in the doorway, it's okay to get out first. Honest.
However, if you've been breaking the rules - talking about yesterday's soap episode or brazenly smiling at your fellow captives - it's OK.
Kim Costner of Brickell and Associates in Virginia Beach rides an elevator to the sixth floor every work day. She tries to be the doorwoman for everyone by memorizing their floors and then pushing the appropriate button. And she TALKS on the trip.
Chapman, who rides the elevator at work every day, lives by this code in his climb to success each morning:
1. Smile and say hello. If someone new enters the elevator, it's okay to smile at them, too, but you don't have to. One person at a time is enough.
2. If you're the first one in, offer to punch the buttons for everyone. But don't go overboard and offer to carry someone's briefcase. Don't insist if someone wants to punch their own buttons.
3. Talk about the weather. It's not okay to wax eloquent on your uncle's prostate operation, but it is okay to talk about how much rain is coming.
4. Say goodbye to the people you said hello to. A cheery, ``Have a nice day,'' is appropriate.
Have more to think about than the number button now? At the very least, you can start your next elevator conversation with, ``Say, did anybody read that piece on elevator etiquette?'' by CNB