If you're in an elevator and you see someone coming, are you pressing the "open door" button or the "close door" button?

Neither.
I stick my foot in the way of the doors so they can get in.

I would take the stairs

i’m hammering the ‘close’ button like a maniac

When I immediately get in an elevator I press my floor number then close door. I always do this. However if I notice someone rushing for the door or obviously trying to get in (and I don’t despise them, lol) then I’ll push open door or stick my hand in the middle.

I’m from New York. Fuck ‘em.

Only if the person in question is cradling bananas with a “THE END IS NIGH” sign around his neck will I hold the close door button.

No elevators where I live but back in the good ole days when I lived in civilization, it would depend on the look and sex of the person coming towards me. More often than not if I were alone and it was a man coming, I would hit the close, but a woman, I would hit open and wait for her.

I know sexist but in the city, it is the way it is.

did you by any chance see the episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm involving this social dilemma? LOL

I have an extreme fear of elevators, it depends on the situation and where I’m at if I want others to be on with me (others as in strangers, I’m okay with my husband being with me) I won’t get on one with more than two other people, I will get off and wait for it to come back again. But, my fear of them is strong..so whoever is on it better not panic that I’m panicking.
I usually observe and never push the buttons.

I keep the door from closing and let them in.

I do not strike up a conversation though. It is nothing personal I am just an introvert.

@poofandmook I did not. I was approaching the elevator today and someone was repeatedly pressing a button as I approached. I made it in but I have no idea which button they were pressing. I said “thank you” on the way in.

I will hold the door for them unless they have a screaming kid.

I don’t do anything. If they want to come in, they can, but I probably won’t do anything extra. Usually if I feel like I’m a little late coming into an elevator, I just put my hand over the door (someone may already be doing that if they see me coming). If it starts to close, you can push it in the other direction and it will go that direction.

@casheroo That is interesting. Is it due to an issue from childhood? Or just a personal “quirk”? Or perhaps claustrophobia?

I typically hold the door open unless I am in a terrible hurry, or there is evidence that I will not enjoy being on the elevator with them (e.g. on the cell phone, unkempt and potentially smelly, etc.).

Most likely:

If it is a man and I am alone and it is a building that does not have a lot of activity—close door.

If there are other people in the elevator and it is a man or a woman and there is only one elevator for the building—open door.

If there are multiple elevators I generally would just let the elevator close on its own.

I’m always really early. I hold the door for people.

@casheroo I kinda have that problem, but only at the hospital where a family member works. Those elevators make all kinds of squeaks and rattles and occasionally sound like they’re scraping the shaft wall.

@casheroo and @Fred931 I don’t know if this will help, but I once read that elevators are the safest mode of transportation.

If they can see me, I press the open button. If they can’t, I press close over and over. I hate elevator small talk with a passion.

@JLeslie That is actually encouraging.

@JLeslie No, that means nothing. lol

@RedPowerLady I’m not claustophobic. Never had any problems in them as a child..I have a past of severe anxiety, and agoraphobia. I’ve overcome the agoraphobia, but the fear of elevators stuck around. I’m okay with it. I can still live my life pretty normally. except to get to my OB, I have to walk up 7 flights of stairs…it’s rough as I get further along the pregnancy!

always the open door if i can find the button. what is wrong with open door instead of chinese puzzle pictures?

Depends on who it is.

@casheroo Thanx for answering. I had to look up agoraphobia, to me that seems like a very reasonable fear and I wonder why I haven’t heard of it before. Dang about the OB, I don’t know if I could make that! Hey good news is later it might put you into labor, i heard walking up hills does it.

Most of the time I hold the elevator. I would never purposely push the “door closed” button. That’s horrible. When I’m irritated I just don’t push anything. If they make it they make it. If not. Oh, well.

@RedPowerLady wait, which is the reasonable fear? Surely not agoraphobia…I know it can be slightly less severe in some people, but mine had me housebound for months at a time (when I’d have an “episode”) Only happened twice in my life, and I fear another episode greatly. It’s a terrible feeling, being phobic to even leave your own home :(

I’m generally afraid of people. Unless they obviously need the elevator, I’ll push the close button until it closes.

But really. I normally take the stairs.

I gotta keep it open

The open button, of course

I think once I got lost on an elevator.

@casheroo I must have read the wrong definition. I apologize. I know what you are talking about now. What I read was when people fear not being able to get help like when stuck in an elevator. I must have sounded like an ass. Sorry.

A relative of mine arrived at her office building early, as usual, to start her day. The building was small with six floors. A man followed her onto the elevator. When she exited the elevator at her floor, he stepped off too, and then proceeded to attack her, with the obvious intention of rape. She fought him, struggled. Luckily, after some time, the elevator started moving again (you could hear it moving) and he ran off down the stairs. Or, at least that is what we believe finally scared him off.

@RedPowerLady lol it’s okay, I looked it up to see what you had read, and was shocked at what the Mayo Clinic said briefly about it, so I saw where the confusion came in.

@casheroo thanx for understanding, lurve for that, i feel like a huge dork right now

One time I was leaving a hospital, and this skinny skinny lady power-walked towards the elevator I was in. I held the door open for her, and she made it just in time.

About half an hour later, I was told that she was an anorexic patient attempting to escape the hospital. So no, I don’t hold the door open for people anymore . . .

I usually act like I’m not paying attention and do nothing.

Unless I believe it might be dangerous, I always hold the elevator.

@JLeslie, good point! I never take an elevator alone with a man.

Otherwise I’m more of a “door open” person.

Karma is a bitch. I hold the elevator for them.

@The_Compassionate_Heretic who’s coming?

Similar to troubleinharlem, I stick my hand (not foot somehow) and try to keep the doors open, which is usually much faster than looking for the right button.

totally depends on whether or not they’ve seen me see them
if our eyes locked I’m holding ‘open’
if they didn’t look at me I’m holding ‘closed’
generally speaking to avoid this issues I get into the space in the elevator away from the buttons

Open button and one arm keeping the door from closing, unless we already have three walkers and a wheelchair on board so someone else simply won’t fit. Then it’s a mimed “Sorry!” and the close button all the way.

I always hold it open. I suppose I live in a pretty safe place and I guess there aren’t many deserted elevators where creepers could follow you… I never really thought about the danger before, it seems strange to me. So here, always hold it open/press the open button.

As soon as I get in an elevator, I press the floor number then press the door close button. If I see someone rushing to get on, I’ll hit the door open button…usually it’s too late, though so the person(s) will hear me say “oops!” or “Doh!”

My knee jerk reaction is to close the door but my finger presses the hold button instead, for some reason, and I greet the person with a smile the size of Texas. I’ll never get used to it.

I hold it open for them. I like being in tiny spaces with lots of people; tis an adventure!

@casheroo Agoraphobia’s a bitch. Good thing you’re over it for now… And I think any measures that ward it off (even if its a ritual of turning in a circle three times, jumping up and down twice and spitting on the ground) are some that you should definitely take. Closed eyes, imagining a happy place and deep breathing, however, might make being in an elevator easier if you can’t avoid it.

@avvooooooo Thanks :) I had to take one today, because of how the hospital is set up..and I had to go to the maternity ward..I’m pretty positive they all thought I was in labor because of my mannerism when panicking silently on an elevator. I cover my eyes with my hand and breathe quite strangely. Usually my husband is with me to ease the moment, but they all just stared lol

@casheroo Maybe you need to carry a sign and put it around your neck so you don’t freak ‘em out… “Issues with Elevators.” :) Little string, little paper, a marker and you’re all set!

@avvooooooo ‘cept then she’ll be remembered as the crazy elevator lady with a hand-made sign around her neck! ;P

@SpatzieLover Hey, better than having to be checked out all the time just because people don’t get it. Better to be the crazy elevator lady that everyone knows about than to have to spend who knows how long assuring people she’s fine.

Think an engraved placard would be better, Spatz?

@SpatzieLover Let’s just add a tat to her forehead “Agoraphobic: May hyperventilate in enclosed spaces”

@SpatzieLover Can we do it in a pretty color? She might not mind if its a pretty color… :D

lol! I’m sure the tattoo would draw more attention than anything ;)

@casheroo We could fix ya up… Put some flowers around it, a nice border… :D