July - September 2017 •
The Lion King
• 45
Feature
respect it. There are two things that
tend to annoy a lot of people when it
comes to space in a lift. Firstly, a lift is
small so there is limited space already,
so when the doors open and you
see it’s full, don’t be that person who
squeezes in like another one won’t
open in a couple of minutes. This is
especially important for those of us
who do this in the morning. Secondly,
have you ever been on your own in
a lift and then someone else comes
in and decides to basically stand on
top of you? It’s so annoying! If there
are only one or two people in the lift,
go to separate sides so it doesn’t get
uncomfortable.
MOVE TO THE BACK
When you’re getting into a lift, move
to the back. Don’t stay right in front
of the door so that when other’s want
to get in they have to push past you.
This also applies if you’re coming out
at the top most floor or the ground
floor. If possible, move to the back so
when others need to get off they can
without having to figure out how to
get around you. If you can’t move to
the back then you should step out so
people behind you can get out and
then you can get back in. Don’t worry
the lift won’t leave you behind.
HOLDING THE DOOR
There are 2 sides to this rule, I’ll start with
when to hold the lift. If you’re alone in
a lift, it’s always polite to hold
it for someone approach-
ing. Even when you’re
not alone, you should
hold the lift for
someone. Moreso
if they’re shout-
ing ‘HOLD THE
LIFT’. On the
flip side, don’t
hold the door
if the lift is full
(see my point
on
respect-
ing personal
space). It is also
very rude to hold
the door (when
other people are in
the lift) because ‘your
friend is coming’ or you’re
having a conversation with
someone not getting on. You’re indi-
rectly saying the time of the people in
the lift isn’t as important as yours. Finish
your conversation or wait for your
friend before you call the lift and save
everyone else the trouble.
SPEAK
SPARINGLY
People always get confused on
whether or not to speak to people
when getting into the lift. It is always
nice to say a polite greeting when
you see someone in the lift, however
you don’t need to force the person
to engage in a full on conversation
with you. If you’re having a conver-
sation with a friend/colleague, you
can put the conversation on pause
until you get out or at least speak in
low voices. This also goes for phone
conversations. Using your phone on
a lift is generally considered rude,
but if you must, try to speak in a low
voice. Don’t put everyone in the lift in
the uncomfortable position of listen-
ing to your personal conversation that
doesn’t involve them. On this note,
please never sing in the lift unless you
are alone.
‘FACE YOUR
FRONT’
Don’t stare
at someone
until you or
the
per-
son gets
off the lift.
You end
up making
them feel
e x t r eme l y
a w k w a r d
and uncom-
fortable. Make
quick eye con-
tact when you get
in to say hello, but after
that face the door and get off
when it’s time. Don’t leave someone
wondering if there’s something wrong
with their outfit (if there is, say some-
thing) or wondering what to say to
you to ease the awkwardness you’re
creating.
WAIT
Again, there are 2 points related
to waiting. Firstly, always wait for
people to get off the lift before
you get on, don’t start forcing
and squeezing your way in. Also,
if there’s a crowd of people wait-
ing for a lift, don’t just push past
people to get in, wait your turn like
everyone else. Nobody likes a queue
jumper!
TAKE THE STAIRS
If you’re just going to the next floor,
don’t be lazy, take the stairs. I do this
a lot and always feel guilty when I get
dirty looks from the other people in a
lift when I press the next floor to exit.
STAYING SAFE
Most important is to stay safe
when getting into a lift.
1. Never walk in backwards.
2. Don’t be distracted texting
or chatting on your phone as
you enter the lift.
3. If the lift door is about to
close, don’t try and force it
open. Let it go.
4. Don’t overload the lift.
5. Don’t jump or
dance in the lift to
the extent that it
causes imbal-
ance.
