elevator talk

Last week I needed to run up to the fifth floor to help a co-worker with a project. A year ago, I would have taken the stairs but these days I move too slow to go up three floors, so I made my way to the elevator lobby instead.

[Side note: The building I work in consists of a few other businesses but floors 1-5 are primarily my company. Anyone on my floor is an employee of the company I work for. We also all wear badges.]

Standing in the elevator lobby was a guy I had seen maybe once or twice before, he was wearing his Benham badge but I had no idea what his name was or what he did at our company. But by the way he was dressed, I was guessing some part of obscure management or someone who had at least been with our company for awhile. He had selected the down button.

Seeing as I had to go up, I pushed the other button and then we both just stood there in complete silence, waiting. All the while, he had never looked up from his Blackberry. (This is where that new "Really?" cell phone TV ad would have come into play well).

The elevator dinged, I looked up for the indicator and the elevator was going up. I hopped on and he started to follow me, still looking at his Blackberry.

I wanted to inform him that the elevator was going up and that if he didn't mind riding up a few floors first, then he could go down to one. But it didn't come at as informational, or helpful or even remotely cordial.

Christa: "I'm going up, do you mind?"

Unknown co-worker: "Geez, sorry." He hops off, the doors shut immediately and I'm left standing there with my mouth open feeling like a class A witch.

I meant, "I'm going up, do you mind riding up to the fifth floor first? Ya know, before it takes you down to one?" But no. No.

Instead it came out as, "This is my elevator, get off."

Cue mortified face and silent thanksgiving that it wasn't anyone who performs my yearly performance evaluation.