Elevators

I spent the last month in a 7 floor hospital where home base was located on "Ground" and most of my patients were located on the 5th floor. And, I was 30-34 weeks pregnant, so you can guess how much stair climbing I did...

...therefore, I got to use the elevators. A lot. And it got really irritating. I found it really hard not to glare at the people who got on the elevator for 1 floor (unless they were hauling something.) Them doing this made the elevator stop not only once, but TWO TIMES before I got to my floor. Just for one person. Sometimes, I am willing to give people the benefit of the doubt, because I have been guilty of taking the elevator for one floor when I am in a new building and I don't know the location of the stairs, but these were the employee elevators. You had to have a badge to even access them. Therefore, these people know where the stairs are located. I would like to add, that during my entire month there, I NEVER once took the elevator for one floor.

Really, the one floor thing should have been what annoyed me most, but it's not. What really got my goat, were the people who would enter a packed elevator, on the GROUND floor, therefore, everyone is getting off as there is nowhere else to go, before a single person exited the hot, stuffy, crowded box. Really? I mean really? It just makes no sense. None whatsoever. I just don't think it can even be blamed on surrounding unawareness. I think to myself, this must be the most self-absorbed, rude, couldn't give 2 craps about anyone kind of person ever. They just made the unloading process difficult and awkward for EVERYBODY. And this happened, not on a daily basis, but probably every other time I exited those elevators. Yes, there are that many people that do this. Again, I am not saying I have never over-eagerly stepped toward an elevator to load as soon as it opened, but when I then look up to see 8 people leaving, I step back and let them unload. I don't just shove my way onto the the thing. I don't get it, I just don't get it. The one floor trip takers are easily explained. LAZY. These people? There is no category for them.

Lastly, being pregnant, I am double in size, always hot, and extra sensitive to smells. Add all that to my already existent propensity toward anxiety in crowded places and you won't blame me for getting a little annoyed when the already at capacity elevator opens and everyone says, come on in there is room for one more. There is not room for one more. They can wait. There are 2 other elevators that are most likely close by. And if they get on, then someone will have to be touching me. And I am too far to the back to just get off and wait for the next elevator or just take the stairs for the rest of my trip.

So, in conclusion, I am really happy I work in a 3 floor hospital, where I really only use 2 of the floors, therefore, rarely needing an elevator. If I had to do that for 3 years, I most surely would lose at least 10 of sanity later in life. It also, reinforces to me why I love living in Kansas City. There are so few situations where I have to deal with elevators, or buses, or crowds of any sort. I guess I am not cut out for big city livin'. I like my space, personal and otherwise.