Monday, January 23, 2006
Elevator Etiquette
Sandwiched as it is between two abbreviated weeks, the first week of the third marking period seemed somewhat anticlimactic today at Underwood High School. The grades are getting squared away for the semester, and kids and teachers alike are holding the breaths and getting ready for the plunge into the spring testing season.
Today had its interesting moments, including a reporter from a major metropolitan newspaper visiting my classroom, but I had a curious experience in my apartment buiding on the way home.
Tired after returning home around 7:30 this evening, I enter the elevator and push my button. A second later, a guy gets in behind me and says "12 please."
But by the time he said it, I had already pressed the button for my floor and slumped somewhat into the corner of the elevator.
Now normally, in this sort of a situation, the other party would press the button for his floor and everything would be jake.
Instead, the guy gives me a stern look and says "Thanks."
A few seconds later, we get to his floor, and he looks at me and tells me to have a good night. I thank him, but the unspoken understanding is that neither of us really mean what we're saying.
So maybe I'm reading too much into this, but i'm trying to figure out who was being the arrogant jerk here:
Me...for not pushing the button for the other person's floor when he got on to the elevator?
Other guy...for his snide "thanks" and the expectation that the other guy on the elevator should push the button in the first place?
Both of us?
Ultimately, I guess this whole meditation is relatively pointless except for experts in etiquette. But that's what having a blog is all about, right?
The right to be pointless!
More substantive posts forthcoming.
Sandwiched as it is between two abbreviated weeks, the first week of the third marking period seemed somewhat anticlimactic today at Underwood High School. The grades are getting squared away for the semester, and kids and teachers alike are holding the breaths and getting ready for the plunge into the spring testing season.
Today had its interesting moments, including a reporter from a major metropolitan newspaper visiting my classroom, but I had a curious experience in my apartment buiding on the way home.
Tired after returning home around 7:30 this evening, I enter the elevator and push my button. A second later, a guy gets in behind me and says "12 please."
But by the time he said it, I had already pressed the button for my floor and slumped somewhat into the corner of the elevator.
Now normally, in this sort of a situation, the other party would press the button for his floor and everything would be jake.
Instead, the guy gives me a stern look and says "Thanks."
A few seconds later, we get to his floor, and he looks at me and tells me to have a good night. I thank him, but the unspoken understanding is that neither of us really mean what we're saying.
So maybe I'm reading too much into this, but i'm trying to figure out who was being the arrogant jerk here:
Me...for not pushing the button for the other person's floor when he got on to the elevator?
Other guy...for his snide "thanks" and the expectation that the other guy on the elevator should push the button in the first place?
Both of us?
Ultimately, I guess this whole meditation is relatively pointless except for experts in etiquette. But that's what having a blog is all about, right?
The right to be pointless!
More substantive posts forthcoming.
