People using lifts

[Aquarius1619]

I’m actually a bit annoyed at myself for being petty enough to post this.
But this really got under my skin today!! I have an 11 month old who isn’t keen on the pram, will sit in there for 15 minutes or so but as soon as I stop moving she has a meltdown.
So we were waiting for the lift as we were parked on floor 5 in the local shopping mall today and I was stood behind a queue of people waiting to use the lift. People with no shopping, no kids, just didn’t want to use the stairs. And it took 20 minutes for me to get in the lift because each time it would come to my floor it was full of people with no kids, no wheelchairs, no walking sticks so then we’d wait for the next one then one of the people in front of me with nothing to carry would get in it. I know every disability isn’t visible either but FFS I’m talking a load of people here. By the time some of them had eventually got in the lift it would’ve been quicker for them to have walked up and down the whole place! Meanwhile DD is having a meltdown because we’d been stood around for ages. Is it unreasonable to expect people to just use the stairs and free up the lifts for people who actually need them? If I have no pram with me I always use the stairs

YABU and presumptuous to think that you have more right to the lift than other people. People might be tired, have had a long day, or have any number of mobility issues that make using the stairs difficult.

They might simply not feel like using the stairs.

You have to take your turn like everyone else.

Maybe you need to be more assertive or come across as more confident, if that makes sense? So people are less likely to push past you when you’re blatantly waiting for the lift.

For example today I was rushing around and think I must have looked like I was on a mission - the majority of the London public that I came across moved right out of the way for me, even though I was probably in their way. And to contrast there’s also been other times where people bump into me or it’s like I’m invisible etc.

I don't understand why healthy people don't take the stairs.

You must be a bit lacking in imagination.

The issue isn’t that people didn’t let me go in front of them, I’m pretty sure that’s not what I wrote? My post is saying in general, it’s frustrating that people (EXCEPT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES/HEALTH CONDITIONS/ILLNESSES as I’ve said a few times now which everyone is choosing to ignore) don’t use the stairs if they are able too when there’s such a long queue for the lift. And yes before I had a child I would just heaven forbid walk up the stairs rather than wait 20 minutes to get in a lift?!!!

I’m talking about people who DON’T need to use them for health reasons/extra luggage/peaks/mobility issues it can sometimes get annoying

Anyone can use the lift...why do you feel you can decide who ‘needs’ to use the lift?

Some would also say that you probably didn’t really NEED to go to a shopping mall with an 11 month old.

For goodness' sake, I'd bet a week's wages that less than 10% of the people in that queue didn't have conditions that made it impossible to use the stairs. Of course someone with a buggy takes priority over normally mobile people.

Only yesterday I got out of a lift because someone with a buggy was about to be left behind. When I offered my place they looked surprised as well as grateful. Having read this thread I can see why they were surprised.

less than 10% DID have conditions. Sorry

I’m 20 weeks pregnant suffering from severe sciatica and hip pain so I WILL use a lift - I don’t look pregnant to the naked eye yet and look perfectly healthy. Stop judging others

@rosepetal321 in fact I did, I don’t have someone to leave her with. So the solution is I never go shopping because I chose to have a child? Great input

I would rather take the stairs but if I'm with my mum we take the lift. She has no mobility issues but has developed a fear of escalators and has full on panic attacks if she has to go down one.

I really think people are intentionally missing the point here? 99% of people have said commented in anger about physical or psychological issues with stairs which I have already said I understand

" I’ve said a few times now which everyone is choosing to ignore) don’t use the stairs if they are able too when ther"

You're even more arrogant then. Your problem is not that you had to wait for the lift, but that non-disabled people were using the lift AT ALL.
You've totally misunderstood how lifts work. They're for ANYONE who wants them.

I agree I think people have just started to use the lift without thinking about it. We always try and take the stairs, even with a dodgy knee and heavy two year old I end up carrying, as I can't bear the waste of energy in using the lift.
But stairs can often be hard to find, not in a very nice condition, with dodgy lighting etc. Perhaps architects and planners need to start making the stairs an attractive place to be and easy to find and people would start using them. Leaving lifts for those who needed them.

YABU because anyone is perfectly entitled to use lift
But
YANBU in that a lot of people are very lazy and chose to do as little physical exercise as they possibly can. More people taking the stairs would be a very good thing.

Of course someone with a buggy takes priority over normally mobile people.

Wellllllllll No.
Kid is in a buggy. Mum/dad/relative can stand like the rest of us. I know it's not popular opinion though

Put your baby in a sling, then you can uses stairs/escalators. Because it’s pretty unreasonable that people like you are hogging the lifts all the time.

each time it would come to my floor it was full of people with no kids, no wheelchairs, no walking sticks so then we’d wait for the next one

Then the trick is to go down to a lower floor and get on there.

I totally understand. I used to be in a wheelchair and wasn’t ever given priority. I would of taken my wheelchair out for you to get in.

I always get out of a lift if someone with a pushchair or wheelchair is wanting to get in.

I used to work on the 5th floor of a building. Always packed first thing in the morning and would stop at every single floor. No way would it take 20 minutes for several loads of people before you could get on it.

@KatherineJaneway

How she could she go down a floor? With a buggy ?

Hence using the lift in the first place?

Well I WOULD use the stairs, but I really don't want to.

Yabu I'm petrified of escalators so quite often use lifts.

I’m talking about people who DON’T need to use them for health reasons/extra luggage/peaks/mobility issues it can sometimes get annoying

They, as far as you know, don't need to use the lift. As far as we know you don't need to use a pram - you could use a baby sling/carrier but are choosing to use a pram instead. Therefore you are both being equally reasonable/unreasonable.

@Falcor40

Get in the lift and go down.

I'm astonished at the tone of this thread. I'd have thought it's fairly obvious that if the lifts are very busy, then the people who have no option but to use them (parents with buggies, people in wheelchairs, people with mobility issues) should be prioritised.

I'm in my 60s, but would always stand back if someone behind me fitted that criteria. I'm happy, and fortunate enough, to be able to manage flights of stairs. And to be fair I could use the exercise.