Such a simple thing really, and yet not at all.
Imagine, if you will, the following scenario.
You enter an empty elevator. After a confused pause you push the correct button for your floor. The elevator stops at the next floor. A woman older than you—but not ancient—enters and you naturally take a step back, even though the space is unusually large. She also pushes the button for the ground floor. In a moment the elevator stops. The doors open to reveal a muddled crowd. You pause to allow the older woman to go first. But she hesitates. You observe that no one has stepped aside to allow a passage for exit. You sense the crowd moving forward, almost in unison. A few steps ahead of the others is a tall boy with over-dyed black hair. He moves toward you in a cloud of cigarette smoke. You look over at the older woman who has frozen beside the the door. The rest of the crowd is surging forward. The black haired boy is now inside the elevator, with the others close behind. They are between you and the older woman. She is too far away to reach. The black haired boy is beside you now. Your reflexes kick in. You are adept at moving through a crowd. You are able to slide into spaces between people that don't exist until you make them. You know you can only save yourself. Faster than the blink of an eye, you slither through the crown and are gone. You know without looking behind you that the older woman is still in there.
Imagine, if you will, the following scenario.
You enter an empty elevator. After a confused pause you push the correct button for your floor. The elevator stops at the next floor. A woman older than you—but not ancient—enters and you naturally take a step back, even though the space is unusually large. She also pushes the button for the ground floor. In a moment the elevator stops. The doors open to reveal a muddled crowd. You pause to allow the older woman to go first. But she hesitates. You observe that no one has stepped aside to allow a passage for exit. You sense the crowd moving forward, almost in unison. A few steps ahead of the others is a tall boy with over-dyed black hair. He moves toward you in a cloud of cigarette smoke. You look over at the older woman who has frozen beside the the door. The rest of the crowd is surging forward. The black haired boy is now inside the elevator, with the others close behind. They are between you and the older woman. She is too far away to reach. The black haired boy is beside you now. Your reflexes kick in. You are adept at moving through a crowd. You are able to slide into spaces between people that don't exist until you make them. You know you can only save yourself. Faster than the blink of an eye, you slither through the crown and are gone. You know without looking behind you that the older woman is still in there.
Oh dear, if only you had thought to hold the door open and gesture to the older woman to exit as you politely stared down the surging crowd.
ReplyDeleteIf ONLY!!!
ReplyDeleteI am no cad Melissa. This was a hospital size elevator and the door opening was about two wheelchairs wide. In a normal size elevator I could easily block anyone from entering, while making way for the woman's exit. And I would have done it without thinking. My whole point was my fury with these idiots who couldn't line up, or even move aside to let people out. Who goes charging into an elevator—that has just come down and can only go up—when people are trying to get out. I was plagued with guilt after my escape.
Eden, these things happen, sometimes the incoming tide of boors is impossible to thwart--you had to save yourself!
ReplyDeleteI am perennially shocked at the thoughtlessness of people in public, as they invade the personal spaces of others and fail to exercise even the most basic courtesy.