BEHAVIOUR IN ELEVATORS

CHARU CHOPRA
2009-015-A

The document is divided into two parts. In the first part the behaviour of people in a crowded
lift is analysed while in the second part I have analysed my own behaviour.

An elevator is a confined space that you share with strangers. It is human nature to avoid
conversations or to stare at unknown people as it is considered rude. It was observed that in a
crowded lift people either stared at the door or at the floor display. If either of the two was
obstructed then people either preferred to stare at their feet or snap their fingers. All the above-
mentioned activities are also an indicator that the people felt uncomfortable with strangers and
wanted the ride to get over past. Most of the people are wearing a blank face and show a sense
of urgency while getting off the lift.

If there are only two people in a lift they stand at the maximum possible distance from each
other. They avoid making any eye contact or making any sort of noise.

People also showed uncharacteristic behaviour with respect to where they stand in the lift. If
they had to travel a long way, they prefer to stand at the end farther away from the door. On the
contrary if they had to travel only a floor or two, they preferred staying close to the door itself.
This behaviour also displays how much people avoid talking to strangers even if it involves
asking for way for making space.

Both the genders also displayed typical behaviour. Men avoid standing between two female. The
female do not get off a lift or do not feel comfortable if there are only men standing at the door.
They either lean back and waited for them to clear or they get off at a different floor altogether.
If there are two members of the same gender already present in the lift standing far apart from
each other and a member of the opposite gender enters, it is observed that one of the earlier
two occupants moved towards the other and the two genders take opposite corners in the lift,
facing away from each other or staring into nothingness.

There could be another perspective with which we can look at how people behave in an
elevator. For this I am presenting an analysis of my own behaviour in a lift. An elevator gets me
a sense of claustrophobia. Therefore to avoid the usual feeling of stuffiness I'll refrain from
entering a crowded lift. Once inside I completely avoid looking at the numbers as they bring in a
sense of more time left. In most cases I immediately start fiddling with my cell phone to divert
attention. If it is a capsule lift, I try standing towards the glass and looking outside. In a normal
lift, I stand as close to the door as possible.