This just happened

[clevermanka]

A student in a wheelchair was waiting for the elevator. The doors opened and I heard him ask, "Going up?" I assume someone nodded yes, because he started to roll in. Then he had to back out because the elevator was too full. Nobody offered to exit and walk up the one flight of stairs to the fourth floor so he could get on. Not one person cared enough to make room for him because that would've meant leaving the elevator and walking up one flight of stairs.

I am horrified. And sick. And sad.

One flight of stairs. Don't try to tell me that all six individuals on the elevator were themselves incapacitated or otherwise unable to walk up one flight of stairs. You and I both know that's horseshit. It was just laziness. And carelessness. And lack of compassion for a fellow human being.

Sick and sad.

Comments

[redheadfae.livejournal.com]

People can really suck.

I guess everyone was in so much of a hurry and sooo important that they couldn't step off and wait for the next ride up either?

Rat bastards. I hope they all get blood clots or heart attacks from their lazy elevator-riding habits.

[starwyse.livejournal.com]

I saw a lot of similar behavior while caring for my folks. I was either speechless or angry a lot of the time.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I wanted to shove my arm in the elevator door and say "One of you sumbitches needs to get the fuck off this elevator and walk your ass to the fourth floor!"

But that would've been just as rude to the poor guy in the wheelchair. Ugh. Ugh. What shitty, shitty people.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Oh man. I wish I'd thought of that. I totally would have.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I am still so angry. Oh man, if someone had done that with my dad being the person in the wheelchair? I'd have fucking come unglued.

I wonder..

[wyckedgood.livejournal.com]

A couple of thoughts here...

1. Would the person in the chair have wanted that? I would not. I could wait for the next elevator just like anyone else and would prefer that. When you live your life as an exception you often don't want to be one. Having said that, I still think it is in poor taste that no one stepped out.

2. Thoughtlessness & Manners...I really think that is what this incident boils down to. It isn't just that people are lazy, it is that they are lazy of thought. I doubt it even occurred to them that they should step out or offer to. I doubt it was deliberate behaviour at all.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

1. No, of course not. That's why I didn't do it. See my response to roya_spirit, above.

2. I doubt it was deliberate behaviour at all.

To me that just makes it worse.

2

[wyckedgood.livejournal.com]

It DOES make it worse.

[starwyse.livejournal.com]

Oh, I did. I started saying things to people that I thought I'd never say. Even now, when I think of it, I see red.

Re: 2

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Which is why, if I'd thought of it, I would have called them on it per gmskarka's suggestion. Out of earshot and well away from the person affected. If they didn't learn basic manners as children, they could at least be told how now.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Oh man. If I'd thought of doing that, I would have. I so so would have.

EDIT: I waited twenty minutes for my first comment to show. I thought it had failed to post.

Stupid LJ.

Re: 2

[wyckedgood.livejournal.com]

True that.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I would have left out the swearing, though. You know, if I'm teaching them a lesson in polite behavior and consideration towards others. =D

LOL

[wyckedgood.livejournal.com]

That generally is a better way to go about it.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I'm surprisingly (fortunately) good at shifting gears between Quentin Tarantino and Judith Martin.

Grins

[wyckedgood.livejournal.com]

It would be hard to be well mannered if you couldn't keep the Tarantino contained.

[redheadfae.livejournal.com]

I know.

I feel the same way when I see able-bodied assholes taking up a handicap parking space, or blocking the access ramp, just so they don't have to walk the extra 50 ft to the storefront from a regular parking space.

I watched a stupid broad in an Excursion pull in *right next to* a car in the handicap space, basically she parked right on the curb ramp. There were parking spaces not ten spaces down in front of the convenience store. The poor guy came out, he could walk, but couldn't pick up his feet. He stood there looking at her truck and the ramp she was parked on, and finally he sort of leaned on the side of her truck and shuffled off the curb. I was shaking, I was so angry to see this.
I swear I would have gladly flattened all her tires, but that it wouldn't have helped the situation. I'd have helped him key the damned truck if he wanted to!

[nottygypsy.livejournal.com]

Can NOT Believe... well yes I can because EVERYBODY used the elevator at work, for ONE FLIGHT and it was so SLOW I could be up the stairs and back 3 times before they got to the next floor!
Man, I'm angry with you!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I'm tired of laziness, entitlement, and a general lack of manners in public.

The more I think about, I'm realizing that I'm bothered more by just the general rudeness of those people. It very well might have been that, had someone offered, the person unable to climb the stairs might have declined the vacated spot in the elevator. But nobody even asked!

[jimmy-hollaman.livejournal.com]

I have said it once, i will say it again... "I do not like people, people are stupid. Human, i like..." And sadly there seem to be less humans than there use to be

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Interesting clarification, that.

[miischelle.livejournal.com]

Have I mentioned that humans never cease to disapoint me?

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

This is like holding the door for someone: Not everyone wants it, but it's polite manners to do so.

And it's not as if they were going to reach the 4th floor any time sooner by riding the elevator. I say, use those legs while they still work! Because if you don't, soon enough, they'll stop working. For people like those, I say, fine; let them discover the joy of being that person in the wheelchair. Unable to ride due to others' self-centered-ness.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Because if you don't, soon enough, they'll stop working.

And then you and I will be paying for their health-insurance coverage because of their physical ailments brought on by under-used bodies. Yay!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Seriously. It's why I'm a pessimist when it comes to people. An optimist is never pleasantly surprised.

[redheadfae.livejournal.com]

LOL.. that's an awesome way to put it!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_luaineach/]

lol

[stuology.livejournal.com]

>:O

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I know. =(

[bestill.livejournal.com]

uh, why are healthy people taking the elevator anyway?

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Because they are lazy sons of bitches. This is not uncommon, by the way. In fact, probably the only reason most people don't take the elevator is because they can't afford the time to wait for it. The elevators in this building are always full between classes.

[bestill.livejournal.com]

I guess that's all part of the reason why Americans are over-weight in general.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

It's a lot easier to buy a diet book than stop being lazy. Of course, I always take the stairs and I'm not what you'd call skinny.

[bestill.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think that's the common mentality. My mom takes a lot of medication for high blood pressure and other things, but won't exercise or change her diet. When I tried talking to her about it, she seemed surprise and didn't understand what was wrong with just taking all the medicine--why exercise or eat healthy? Yet, she's also had her gal bladder removed fromo eating fast food everyday. . . . but what evah!

[thefox-rb.livejournal.com]

I would ask, ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!?!?!?!?"...but I know you are not. Sadly.

FUCKERS.