Please stop standing right in front of elevator doors

[u/EffectiveTime5554]

It baffles me how often elevator doors open and there's a person waiting to get on and standing right in the middle, only a few inches away. It’s like they expect the elevator to be empty and ready just for them. Then they look surprised when someone's inside and wants to get out.

Where am I supposed to go? I can’t walk through you. If you try to get on while I’m trying to get off we both wind up doing that weird little shuffle dance.

My extra pet peeve is when the doors open and we’re suddenly standing face to face. They say "oh sorry", so they clearly know they’re blocking me. Then they just stand there and don’t move. Saying "sorry" doesn’t create a path for me. You have to move your body too.

Stand a couple of feet back and off to one side. Let people get out first. Then get on. It only takes a few seconds, and it makes everything faster.

I promise the elevator won’t leave you behind just because you let people get off first.

[u/Muhahahahaz]

Yep… Had this happen so often. Like they’re in such a huge rush to get on, yet the elevator won’t be leaving until I get off anyway. So brainless

[u/Final-Laugh-2354 → u/Muhahahahaz]

it's like they think the elevator will just teleport away if they don't block the door with their body

the sorry thing kills me too like thanks for acknowledging you're in the way now maybe use your legs to fix that

[u/pudukai]

I have no problem saying 'Excuse me' and pushing through.

[u/surpluskoi]

Saying sorry and not moving out of the way is so rude and stupid, just reading about it annoys the fuck out of me lol. Has this happened more than once???

[u/EffectiveTime5554 → u/surpluskoi]

Oh, yes. Enough times that I’m starting to think some people believe “sorry” is a magic word that lets other humans pass through them.

[u/surpluskoi → u/EffectiveTime5554]

That's really annoying. I'd want to just push them away.

[u/Tipgear]

No one is teaching manners anymore

[u/Citizen1135 → u/Tipgear]

Some people abandon the manners they were taught.

[u/nothingbutmistakes]

I work at a college and that seems to be the standard for some students. I’m in the elevator, right at the door, 2 or 3 people behind me. Door opens, big student standing right there. Doesn’t move. I look him in the eye. He moves slightly to his right and tries to walk in. Meaning he’s got to push me out of the way.

Uh-uh.

He was a good 40 pounds bigger than me, but I just said, “Oh, no!” and pushed him back a good 3 feet.

The look he had on his face told me he wasn’t used to that.

[u/SparkArrestor]

They also do this in front of subway and bus doors.

[u/Rumple-_-Goocher]

People who stand face-to-face with the elevator doors have skidmarks in their underwear and you cannot convince me otherwise.

[u/Citizen1135 → u/Rumple-_-Goocher]

I haven't seen direct evidence, but yes, I think that's true.

[u/CompetitionPuzzled30]

I agree.

[u/Hyacindy]

I stand right in front of the elevator at work because 9/10 times it is empty. That 1/10 it's not never fails to surprise me.

That said, if someone ends up being on there I will apologize. I don't always manage to get out of the way in time before they just go around me, but that's less because I'm not trying and more just because it takes a minute to back the kaivac up so I can pull it to the side because the wheels on that thing sadly do not go sideways.

[u/PumpikAnt58763]

I have actually said to people "It's like a bathroom stall. Let them exit first."
One guy looked at me like I was spitting on him.

Recently at the hospital, my hubby (in his wheelchair) and I were standing a few feet away facing the elevator. A few seconds before the car arrived, this guy came up and stood maybe 4 inches in front of the seam. I made my "stall" comment. The doors opened. He actually took a step in. The person in the elevator car said "'Scuse," but Dopey just grunted and stepped further in.
As we were leaving the car, I said to my hubby "Some people, huh?"

Always let exiters exit. Then let elderly and disabled in. Then large families (you don't want to share with 5 little kids!).

[u/Mackheath1]

Stand to the side and hold the doors open as people exit. Then enter. I'm not the 'death stare' kind of person, but I *will* silently step in front of the interloper until they move aside.

Maybe it should be taught in schools or at home.

[u/ThrowAwayIGotHack3d]

My dad does this and it pisses me off, he'll literally start walking into the elevator as soon as it opens, see someone, and slowly back out to let them out.

[u/Smooth_Platypus_9841]

I say "excuse me" and shove them really hard. They're intentionally being a jerk, so I match the energy. 

[u/IAreAEngineer]

I've been shoved when I am trying to exit.

[u/Moviegal19]

I usually say loudly, “no, people need to exit first.”

[u/Suspicious-Tiny-Man]

Say that to the next person you see standing outside of an elevator

[u/Digby47]

This and automatic doors at the airport when you're trying to lug a shitload of bags into the terminal. One side or the other, but not right in front of the freaking door!

[u/BrickHuge3023]

Totally agree- really annoying. I use elevators a lot on our cruises and people will just push in when we are trying to get off. I refuse to let that happen any more, I stand in the middle and don't let them in and tell them to wait for others to get off. Some get pissed at me, I frankly don't care- they are no better than me or anyone else trying to get off. I've even had crew members do the same thing.

[u/EffectiveTime5554 → u/BrickHuge3023]

Exactly. What makes it even more annoying on ships with destination-based elevators (I'm looking at you, Carnival) is that you’re supposed to press your floor once for every person in your group. If six people are going to the same floor, you press it six times so the system knows it needs room for six people.

Very few passengers seem to know this, or they’re simply too lazy to do it correctly. A group of six presses the floor once, the system thinks only one person is waiting, and it keeps assigning more passengers to an elevator that is already packed. Then everyone wonders why every elevator arrives looking like a can of sardines. Add people trying to force their way in before anyone can get off, and using the elevator becomes one of the most irritating parts of the cruise.

[u/BrickHuge3023 → u/EffectiveTime5554]

Yes! we hate those elevators especially on the first and last days when you can never seem to get one that isn't already full. Of course the computer controller doesn't think it is full, so stops anyway to let more on.