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How To Use An Elevator

Most buildings with more than one floor have an elevator system installed. Riding an elevator is like typing - hunt and peck works, but touch typing is better. Here's how to touch type.

  1. Figure out what floor you're going to. Obviously if you've been there before, this will be easy. If you have the suite number (room number, etc), diving by 100 generally will give you the right floor: suite 200 is on the second floor, 550 is on the fifth floor, 1601 is on the sixteenth floor, etc. If this doesn't seem to work (is suite 30 on the first floor or the third floor?), there is usually a directory near either the entrance to the building or the elevators themselves. You can also call the place you're going to, as they would certainly know, or you can ask someone else in the building.
  2. Figure out what floor you're on. Usually, but not always, you're on the ground floor. Some buildings are built on slopes, which can screw with the numbering system. Also, I understand that in Europe, the ground floor is not the same as the first floor, since in this they use a 0-based counting system. In the US we use a 1-based counting system. Regardless, the current floor is usually marked on the inside of the elevator door frame. Failing that, when you actually get on board the elevator, there should be an indicator to show the current floor - a line of numbered lights or an LCD. This will be important when you're ready to leave.
  3. Decide if the stairs will be faster. Depending on the building, the elevator, and how far you're going, they frequently are faster. However, beware of locked doors and floor "M", located between floors 1 and 2. (WTF is floor M?)
  4. Tall buildings, which have more than a dozen or so floors, frequently have express elevators - one bank will serve floors 2 - 10, for example, while another will serve 11 - 20. If this is the case, figure out which set you need. If you're going from floor 15 to floor 5 in this case, you will need to use two elevators: one to get to a transfer floor (floor 1 in this example), and one to get the rest of the way. If there's no nearby transfer floor, you could go to the nearest border floor and take a flight of stairs. Again, beware locked doors.
  5. Press the up or down button, as appropriate. Some buildings, such as the Wells Fargo Center in Portland, use an alternate system which is beyond the scope of these instructions.
  6. Wait. Look around, find the emergency exit, admire yourself in the mirror, text message a friend. Be sure to stand well back from the elevator doors - always assume that there are people inside the elevator car, and they need to come out before you go in.
  7. When the doors open, make sure the car is going in the direction you need. There should be arrows pointing up or down, and these can be either inside the car (visible once the doors are open) or outside it, but check before you board - otherwise you'll be taking a nice detour to one or more floors in the opposite direction. Another hint is that the call light on or near the button you pressed earlier will go out if the car is going in the right direction.
  8. Once you're in the elevator, press the button for the floor you selected in step one. If other people are getting on too, either offer to push the button for them ("What floor are you going to?") or step aside so they can get to the panel. By the way, if two people are waiting and two elevator cars open at the same time, you should each take a separate one - not to be antisocial, but because you're probably not going to the same floor and one of you would have to wait for the other, which is mildly irritating. If there are two cars available it's generally safe to assume there aren't enough people using them and so you most likely wouldn't delay anyone else.
  9. More waiting. Be sure to stand in front of the door, not off in the corner, so people can see you when the car stops. If you're getting off on this floor, they'll know to stand back to let you out; if not, they won't be surprised by you as they enter because they thought the car was empty.
  10. When the door opens, make sure it's on the floor you want to go to - someone else may be getting on or off, and if you get off on the wrong floor you would have to wait for another elevator car to be available.
  11. Get off on your floor. When you're ready to leave, start back at step 1.