Grumpy Old Man - One Side Please

Making My Way... Out of the Elevator

I'm not coming out of the closet, but sometimes it can be difficult to come out of the elevator. ...bus, or rapid transit train. For some reason people can't grasp the concept that things move smoother if you give folks a chance to exit the "vehicle" before you enter.

An elevator is a confined space without much room to move around in. It is difficult to squeeze around people in the elevator and much easier to move around inside if you let the folks who are trying to get out -- get out -- before you try to enter the car. Standing nose against the door waiting for the elevator to arrive really doesn't help either. You don't really get onto the elevator any faster and if there are people trying to get off, you are simply getting in each other's way. If you merely step back a step or two from the doors while you wait, the people can get out and you can easily step in.

The same goes for getting on and off buses if the doorway is used for both entering and exiting. Here the front door is intended only for entering the bus with the exception of people who are in mobility aids; the elderly; and people otherwise who would have problems making their way to the back of the bus. During crowded times this can include people who simply are at the front of the bus and can not make their way through the standing crowds in the aisles to the rear exit doors.

Our rapid transit trains, the SkyTrain, has doors similar to those on elevators although larger amounts of people might be flowing through at any one time. If people only stand back a little bit from the train as the doors open, then people can exit simply and quickly and others can enter the train just as simply and quickly. Otherwise it is a packed jumble and people might even get caught on the train unable to exit before the train leaves the station. It gets even more complicated if people are trying to exit with a stroller, wheelchair, or mobility aid.

I have seen people with strollers and baby carriages line up with the front of the battering ram... I mean stroller nearly against the door so that nobody can get out and even make room so that same stroller pusher can get into the SkyTrain car.

So if people just stand back a couple steps when the doors open and allow people out, there will be room to slip into the elevator, bus, or train easily. So one side please, make room.

Later!
~ Darrell

108.