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Posts: 4495

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Q: China elevator etiquette

I live in a nice apartment building and I work in an averagely nice office tower in a so-called first-tier city.  I ride the elevator multiple times per day.  I'm guesstimating somewhere around 90% of the time people try to get on before the passengers have had an opportunity to exit.  What has your experience regarding this been?  To add some details to this discussion perhaps we can offer opinions as to the 'why' of this behavior.  I'm also curious if anyone has noticed it in other countries.

9 years 31 weeks ago in  Culture - China

 
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I've seen this, if someone is carrying stuff, they just push in making it harder to get out. It's just more of don't care don't think attitude. The only thought in the small processor positronic brain is must get on elevator which is erased after completion and then put on standby while awaitng new orders. With so many people, the needs of the one rules.

 We have one new building in my home town that has an elevator, I'm curious why there aren't big lineups for the free ride. With things like subways at home, people are squeezing on and off without problems. Maybe because the people in the elevator are Chinese, it just seems different. Long ago when I went to school, the Italians would actually push hard enough to carry me off the subway car one stop too soon most mornings.

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9 years 31 weeks ago
 
Posts: 916

Shifu

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What etiquette? The word doesn't exist in their context. Doesn't happen on buses, elevators, stairways, you name it. It's me, mine, I and my. Period. 

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9 years 31 weeks ago
 
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I think, they are afraid elevator will run away like a bus or lawn angelmower, so they hurry 'on board'.

 

The funniest is, they don't realize they should wait for an exit-ers first, despite anybody who wants to exit must use 'hokey' moves.

It would be even funnier, if all Chinese would understand my English, while I'm trying to exit: 'What's wrong with you? Are you retarded? Let me exit first!'

9 years 31 weeks ago
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9 years 31 weeks ago
 
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Yeah this is typical for elevators, busses, subways, for anything really. Why? Because fuck you, got mine!

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9 years 31 weeks ago
 
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Also, while waiting for the lift, our normal waiting position is to the side of the door. To allow people out of course.

 

No polite behavior here of people who arrive after you to allow you to enter the lift first. Oh no. They just barge past.

icnif77:

'Queue' doesn't exist in China!

 

I understand that! On 1.3B Chinese, you can pass away, while waiting in queue.

 

9 years 31 weeks ago
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ScotsAlan:

lol. It the same if you hold a door open for an elderly or heavily pregnant person... other people just barge past and push the elderly out of the way.

 

But I have to admit tho, people are becoming better at giving up their seat on public transport for someone who needs it.

 

I do laugh at the scrum to get seats on the metro. Funny to see.

9 years 31 weeks ago
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9 years 31 weeks ago
 
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All part of the herd mentality that dominates this country.

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9 years 31 weeks ago
 
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"China" and "etiquette" do not belong in the same sentence.

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9 years 31 weeks ago
 
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my two mao worth-  it seems like to me that for a large percentage of those who do that, they really do not think about it one way or another.  Hard for me to explain this,,,,, but it's like they are not cogitating their action, it is more an instinctual response. door begins to open, move forward, get caught off guard that others are onboard and exiting, stumble backwards as exiting passengers shove through the people in front of the doors.  I mean, I can't explain it and I would think higher of these people if it were a considered response, but honestly I do not see them thinking out the action.  That is what surprises me about this soooooo much.  It's like I want to say to them:  can't you anticipate that there may be (probably are) passengers on the elevator that you are waiting for?  and that if you stand to the side and allow them to exit the whole disembarkation/embarkation process will be more efficient, and a side benefit is that it will be a step in the right direction to elevating (get it?  hehe) your tribe to the level of civilised man.

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9 years 31 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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Shall we talk about the ones stepping into the elevator with a cigarette lit?

 

 

 

diverdude1:

every morning I see stamped-out cigarette butts, along with other random litter, in apartment hallways and elevators. selfish individuals. 

9 years 31 weeks ago
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9 years 31 weeks ago
 
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I just wear my headphones ignoring people who are in the elevator with me, some are smelly so I try to hold my breath, some talk about that laowai who is next to them I know it but I don't hear them thanks to my headphones, some ladies give me kinky looks but I already have someone who is better looking than them so I don't care.

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9 years 31 weeks ago
 
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I had an interesting experience today. Elevator arrived at my floor, I go out normally and some simpleton with an exposed belly tries to push past and get in. I walk out normally and in the process push him out and to the side, he gets angry and starts shouting at me, I reply "let people out first" I don't know if he understood or not, I walked away he finally got into his elevator. Fucking idiot.

I say it's interesting because usually when I exit normally one of two things happen, either they try to awkwardly get out of the way, or they go for the classic "Aiyo/aiya".

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9 years 29 weeks ago
 
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And the repeated pushing of the close door button.  Trust me people, the door will close timely.  Your repeated pushing only leads to wear and tear

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9 years 29 weeks ago
 
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No such thing..as etiquette and elevators. People see you coming and furiously push the button with all their might to close the doors before you. The hoards wanting to get in 'don't,  you need to fight to get out. Many elevators have spit and urine, and all to often people who haven't washed for days. I had this recent experience on three [3] occasions in the past  week, and had to get out of the elevator before my stop, I wanted to puke, male and female culprits. Do Chinese people not retain the brain cell that says 'wait until everyone is out, before I get in!

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9 years 29 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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Elevators have nothing to do with it. there is no etiquette anywhere in this forsaken country.

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9 years 29 weeks ago
 
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