Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be annoyed by this?

43 replies

FebMama · 17/04/2023 17:10

Went into town today, our shopping centre usually has two working lifts but today one was out of order. I was on the ground floor waiting for the lift to the third floor and was waiting a long time. Turned around and noticed a huge queue of people behind me. A mixture of elderly people and people with pushchairs and young children.

Directly behind me, a large group of people consisting of: three adults, two older children and one pushchair. All of them waiting for the lift.

The lift finally gets to the ground floor. I get in with my toddler and my 3 month old in the pushchair. The entire group who were behind me then come squeezing into the lift with us, literally pushed against us like sardines in a tin.

The woman behind the large group was looking very annoyed given that she too had a pushchair that could have easily fit into the lift with us if the larger group had of used their brains. All it took was for one adult to stay with the pram and the other two adults and older children could have easily used the escalators.

The woman behind the large group would have had to wait at least another 10 minutes or so for the lift to come back down I'd imagine.

YABU - they were a group so they were right to stick together
YANBU - they should have been considerate of those around them, they didn't all need to go in the lift

Completely grasp that it's also none of my business but it really bugged me 😂

OP posts:
TheLightSideOfTheMoon · 17/04/2023 17:13

It’s a public lift.

They queued fairly.

highlandmew · 17/04/2023 17:13

YANBU
but what lift takes 10 mins?

Mephisneon · 17/04/2023 17:14

While we can't know about hidden disabilities which may mean the group needed the lift, it's unlikely they all needed to use the lift. I think when it's very busy people should be more considerate. For example on parent taking a child and the other using the stairs or escalator. But this often doesn't happen.

TomatoSandwiches · 17/04/2023 17:15

There are no rules to say who can and cannot use a lift, YABU.

PussBilledDuckyPlait · 17/04/2023 17:17

Is today the day of the Lift Police? This is the second thread laying down the law about who should and should not be using the lift.

You are being unreasonable - they don't need to justify using the lift. No one's going to be harmed waiting another few minutes for the next lift.

Kingdedede · 17/04/2023 17:18

Anyone with any sense would (hidden disabilities aside) but a lot of people don’t consider anyone but themselves.

Wishitsnows · 17/04/2023 17:18

The lift in The Shard wouldn’t take 10 minutes. Was this a do it yourself one with a pulley system?!

RattlewhenIwalk · 17/04/2023 17:19

Oh, people are gormless; they're probably the ones that walk 6 abreast like noone else wants to use the pavement.

SunnySaturdayMorning · 17/04/2023 17:19

YABU. First come, first served. Lifts are for everyone.

Albiboba · 17/04/2023 17:20

YABU you have no idea how easy it was to take the stairs or not.
You don’t own the lift because you chose to use a pram.

Libra24 · 17/04/2023 17:20

We have weird lift / public space culture in UK. In Asia and US they deem lifts as for all and expect to be squashed in. In our culture yeah it seems inconsiderate but it's not the end of the world.

Devoutspoken · 17/04/2023 17:21

It's a bit lazy if they don't need it

IglesiasPiggl · 17/04/2023 17:23

In an ideal world people who don't need to use the lift would avoid doing so at busy times, but generally people don't think of it. It's a shame really.

WhirlAndCleek · 17/04/2023 17:24

It would probably bug people that we would queue for a lift but DH has breathing difficulties and I have arthritis in my knees and ankles.

Outwardly we look like fit and healthy people in our 40’s.

cocksstrideintheevening · 17/04/2023 17:24

Having a pram doesn't trump anyone else using the lift

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 17/04/2023 17:25

Probably didn’t even cross their minds tbh

GlitchStitch · 17/04/2023 17:27

I get the lift with my able bodied 8 year old because she is scared of escalators at the moment. You don't know what needs people have. I also think it's not something to really get worked up about, people seem so hostile to each other these days and quick to complain about non events.

Kingdedede · 17/04/2023 17:31

I think it’s an example of people being more selfish these days tbh.

Albiboba · 17/04/2023 17:41

Kingdedede · 17/04/2023 17:31

I think it’s an example of people being more selfish these days tbh.

By the same token the OP could have used a baby carrier and left the life for those in wheelchairs who had no choice.

Skybluepinky · 17/04/2023 17:47

Really none of yr business, it’s up to them if they want to use the lift.

Kingdedede · 17/04/2023 17:48

Albiboba · 17/04/2023 17:41

By the same token the OP could have used a baby carrier and left the life for those in wheelchairs who had no choice.

Show quote history

If she’s physically know there was an issue with the lifts then yes she could have.

Kingdedede · 17/04/2023 17:49

*psychically know.

Newuswr · 17/04/2023 17:50

But the group waited patiently and queued up just like everyone else. They are not expected to forfeit their place in the queue. It’s not their fault that the shopping centre has inadequate facilities and this group aren’t expected to address that, the shopping centre is. Some things are nice to offer, but unreasonable to expect. You also can’t assume that everyone has the same common sense or thought process that you do.

Lifts shouldn’t be gate-kept, how do you know that one of the “able” people didn’t have a foot injury/painful blisters/bleeding heels as an example? That’s happened to me before with new shoes - I was perfectly fine leaving the house but had problems with footwear later on.

Coffeellama · 17/04/2023 17:51

YABU it was a lift in a shopping centre, she didn’t come to any harm from waiting her turn.

gooseduckchicken · 17/04/2023 17:53

You're being really unreasonable. Lifts are there for everyone.