One of the most awkward situations many people put themselves into on a daily basis is stepping into an elevator. An elevator is a very small room that moves from stop to stop, picking people up and dropping them off along the way. Your time in the elevator is short, but it can be one of the most sterile and cold environments you will ever experience. Even with the knowledge that you will only be trapped in this metal box for a short period of time, there are still some rules of elevator etiquette to follow. In some cases, failure to adhere to elevator etiquette can result in elevator rage and that is something no one has time for. They have hosted sharepoint services to manage virtual environments, they should have have a service to manage the elevator environment!
Never make eye contact with a stranger in an elevator. It is not clear when this rule started, or who started it, but it is a well known passage of elevator etiquette that you do not make eye contact with a stranger. If you happen to get caught peeking over to see what the other person looks like, just smile sheepishly and then get back to investigating the tops of your shoes. Some people are just ready to snap, and eye contact in an elevator could be the thing that puts them over the edge. Do not take any chances; be sure to avoid elevator eye contact at all times.
Talking on your cell phone while in an elevator seems to be the source of aggravation for most people. The reason is that cell phone reception in an elevator is traditionally very bad, so in order to be heard you need to yell into your cell phone. This yelling pierces the awkward silence that is usually found in an elevator and this can cause people to become aggravated. The best way to avoid a scene when it comes to a cell phone on an elevator is to put the phone away and make your call when you reach your floor.
Never sit in a crowded elevator. There are safety concerns here more than anything else as someone sitting on the floor of a crowded elevator can trip up people trying to get out of the elevator. More than that, there is this unwritten rule that you do not sit on the floor of an elevator and breaking this rule can cause some people a high level of uneasiness. It is best to just ride out the trip standing propped up against the wall of the elevator.
In an elevator, more than any other place known to man, people are not equipped to strike up a conversation with a stranger. The same two strangers could be in almost any other setting and be able to strike up a conversation with almost no problem, however change that setting to an elevator and the cardinal rule of elevator etiquette has been broken. Never talk to strangers on an elevator.
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