On Elevators

I rode on an elevator today. There's nothing unusual about that, as I do it all the time. But while going up and down I pondered on why how we ride on elevators reflects the changes in human behavior in our present time. Elevator rider ship has changed as much as society has, almost parallel to those changes. And it's not for the better!

One thing that is different is the disappearance of elevator operators. Remember those guys (almost always men..I wonder why?) who wore the fancy costumes with the colorful bangles on the coat sleeves? Their whole job was to, while being gracious and welcoming, press the button on the elevator panel to take us where we wanted to go? Just like gas stations today without attendants to pump the gas for us, elevators now are empty spaces and self service.

I think the loss of those elevator operators is a nod to the coarse nature of culture today, the sterility of it. It used to be you would walk onto an elevator and never be alone. The elevator operator would guide and converse pleasantries with the rider while the other passengers would smile and speak niceties. Today it is not so, but then few people who are "strangers' to us want to chat casually with newcomers any more. I know not having elevator operators in big buildings is cost effective, but civility is dying. Bring back the elevator operator to restore it!

Another change in elevator rider ship is the role of the female. Women are what make the world beautiful, soft and kind. But the way women are treated on elevators now is a reflection of the changes in the female role today. It used to be the man always deferred to the female rider, waiting for her to enter the elevator first, nodding and smiling with a "Hello, Ma'am", as they embarked. The man always smiled non threateningly and the woman never felt she was a possible target for indecent exposure or robbery while on board. They exchanged stories about self or family ass if they were long time friends. the elevator was a place to talk freely and openly. It was quite a civil ride, with the man respecting the female and deferring to her always.

Today it is "first come, first serve" when men and women ride on elevators. The better sex (females) are seen as "equal", not special. The loss of the old etiquette when riding in elevators is a reflection of the change to a more equitable society. It's great that women are now treated equally in this society, but the elevator instead has become a refuge for men to practice their lack of respect for women. It's one of the last places where a male can be sexist toward women and not be censured often for it. What an ironic notion that equality still hasn't reached the elevator shaft.

But men suffer from this refuge mentality too. The men who are kind and respectful suffer because of the crude ones. It's sad, but when a man and a woman are on an elevator alone there is often unspoken tension between the two. The man looks upward and ponders, "Oh, my...she has a defiant look. I bet she thinks I am going to harm her...I'll just keep staring away from her and won't smile or chat....better to do that than be accused of sexual inappropriateness". The woman riding that elevator with the stranger who is male has a look of constipation, of being trapped when alone in an elevator with a stranger who is male. "I hope I can make it to my floor without that guy saying something sexually suggestive or touching me. Maybe he might drop his pants.....I'm going to just stare away from him until I reach my stop."

There is too little recognition of each other today on elevators. Humans should not ignore each other, even if strangers to each other. We act as if no one else is their, quietly looking away from them, playing with our technology ("connecting" with others who are away from us and ignoring humans we can see and hear directly next to us) or just doing what I did today (thinking about the inconsequential...as in the way elevator riding is different now).

If we can tell how gentle and kind a society is by looking at how humane the zoos are in it, we can tell how society communicate by observing how people relate when in elevators. Right now, it looks sterile and cold, anxious and tense. Yes, "tense" is the best word to describe how we feel when riding elevators. Next time you ride on your elevator, observe the surrounding and see if I am right or if instead, my brains have been rattled too much from the ups and downs of the elevator world.

Sigh....I should ride the escalator more often.