GAIL WHITE Riding in an elevator really does have its ups and downs

What is it about elevators?
The minute people step into an elevator, all talking stops. As the doors close, eyes look straight ahead, staring into the back of someone's head, or down, as if examining the floor, or up, watching each floor number light up.
We were staying in a hotel with our room on the 35th floor, so I found myself spending a great deal of time in an elevator.
Being on vacation and apparently having nothing better to do with my mind, I became intrigued by the elevator phenomenon. So I did the unthinkable. I started looking around.
They looked like nice people to me, certainly no one to be afraid of. Why are people in elevators so shy? Probably a personal-space issue, I reasoned. People are not comfortable standing so close to people they don't know.
But, I reasoned further somewhere around my 12th trip to and from the 35th floor, if it is a personal-space issue, why not break through that barrier of riding with strangers by making them friends!
But how to begin?...
"What time is it?" I asked a nice-looking man riding down.
He looked at his watch and then stared blankly in front of him.
My ice-breaking efforts had failed, I thought.
Then he looked at me (he actually looked at me!) and said with a thick brogue and a shy smile, "I'm from Australia. I don't know what time it is here."
We both laughed at the confusing time change and discussed his native country for 30 floors.
Topic of weather
On another trip, I decided to break the ice with the weather.
"Nice day," I said to a woman who was entering the elevator on the 20th floor.
"Oh, just beautiful!" she beamed. She was from Wisconsin and had escaped the state for her vacation, leaving behind nearly a foot of snow. She thought our elevator was going down but didn't mind traveling to the 35th floor with me one bit. We enjoyed each other's company for 15 floors.
My husband and I were waiting for an elevator outside our room. The doors opened to reveal two children inside. I thought this would be a grand opportunity for lively conversation.
What appeared to be an older sister was holding the hands of her younger brother, who was voraciously clawing at the elevator buttons.
"You might not want to ride this one," she said, struggling with her squirming sibling. "He's pushed all the buttons."
That was enough conversation for us. We waited for the next ride. Those two are probably still riding up and down.
Role of mediator
Stepping into the elevator from the lobby one evening, I found myself in the middle of an argument between what looked liked a boyfriend and girlfriend.
Around the 10th floor, the boyfriend was looking for compromise.
"Let's just call it even," he said.
The girlfriend looked as if she wanted to continue the argument. She paused to consider his proposal.
I was feeling bold, having ridden the ups and downs of the elevator for a week as well as the ups and downs of relationships. I looked at the young woman and said, "It's a big deal for a man to call it even." Turning to their friends riding with them, I said, "Must be love."
Stepping off the elevator, I knew I had taken my elevator experiment to a new level. Not only was I initiating conversation, I was now most likely going to be the topic of conversation.
gwhite@vindy.com