To think that anyone can use the lifts?

[MyPlumNewt]

I’ve just been shouted at by a lady in a wheelchair and told I’m “holding up” the queue by queuing to use the lift. And then she kept shouting at me saying only disabled people or people with prams should use the lifts. AIBU to think that anyone can use the lifts if they want and not only disabled people or people with prams? I wasn’t jumping in the queue either, I was just waiting in the queue normally. The queue had 6 people in.

Me too! I have no outward signs but I am in constant pain and see a physio. It’s not always obvious.

Unless there is a notice restricting use then yes, everyone is of course allowed to use lifts. Whether that is a reasonable thing to do is more debatable though. If there is someone who obviously has no alternative then I think it is generally polite to give them priority, and if there is a queue and you can manage the stairs you could help others and probably save yourself time by doing so.
However, the woman in the wheelchair was very rude, and wrong to suggest that it is only people with wheelchairs or prams who need to use lifts. I have a disability that is not at all obvious and I can walk quite long distances on the flat but I really struggle with stairs, especially going down as some of my joints just won't move in the right way. But I'd look like a perfectly "normal" person waiting in the queue. So would my friend who has MS and my FIL who looks much younger than his years but has quite severe heart disease. I'm sure we could all be seen as lazy people who could easily take the stairs but actually we all have good reasons to wait for the lift. For that reason I would never say anything, though I will admit to rolling my eyes inwardly when there are big groups of teenagers waiting to go down one or two floors in a lift. But you do really never know other people's circumstances, so I wouldn't say anything.

The lifts at our local shopping centre are always incredibly busy and it can be quite a long wait for them so I can understand the frustrations of people who have no choice but to use them when people who don't need to are making the wait even longer rather than walk up a single flight of stairs.

I think the queue system applies in shopping centres.

I would always offer a person in wheelchair to go ahead of me because it can be hard for them to manoeuvre when people are crowding around the lift, but not if the person was rude to me.

OP could be going up 4 levels for all we know.

Most able bodied people should be able to walk up four flights of stairs. If not, they need to practise walking up stairs. If they can't manage four flights in one go, they could rest in between floors, or take the lift on subsequent floors until they become fitter.

Or they could just use the lift for the use it's intended for, whilst being aware of anyone who may need the lift more than them and who isn't rude and shouty.

She was just a rude person who picked on you out of 6 people doing the same thing. They’re everywhere. I wouldn’t give it any more thought.

of course anyone can use lifts.
That said, if you are fit and healthy and able to use the stairs and the lifts are busy resulting in queuing it would be sensible to use the stairs and free up the lifts for those who cant use the stairs.
It is rude to question or criticise someone who doesn't have a visible disability or you dont know the reason someone has chosen to use the lifts as they may have a reason for doing so .
Early in pregnancy i suffered from severe nausea /vomiting and was anemic and absolutely exhausted, i didnt want to let my work down and pretty much managed to work through it ,but i did use the lifts at work (6 floors) i couldnt have managed the stairs, no one questioned me though .
if the OP is saying i have no reason to use the lift and its busy with queues ,can i still use the lift ,the answer is yes you can ,but the real question is in these circumstances should you ?

They could. On the off chance that I briefly consider using a lift I quickly remind myself that it's the height of laziness and that stair climbing has a huge positive impact on cardiovascular fitness and health in general.

Signage in shopping malls & car parks generally always state that wheelchair users and prams etc should have 'priority', for the lifts, i.e if you just want to use the lift because you simply can't be arsed using the stairs, then you should allow those who literally cannot use the stairs to get onto the lift before you.

It's common courtesy really.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't use the lift, just that you give priority to those who have no other option?

A healthy person should be able to walk 4 flights of stairs with shopping. Use it or lose it.

Well, aren’t you a perfect Prue!

Well, she would have got a mouthful from me!!!
I have epilepsy. No one would know by looking at me.
My neurologist has told me I am not to use stairs or escalators.
That woman's need to use the lift would have been the same as mine. She shouldn't assume that someone who looks able bodied is.

I mean the woman could say ' would you mind if I jump the queue due to my wheelchair use' and I'm sure no one would have a problem - or she could be a shouty arsehole who doesn't seem to get that lifts are generally for anyone and everyone.

I hate waiting so I tend to use the stairs, but lifts are definitely for everyone and there was absolutely no issue with you using it.

No, it doesn’t. Westfield shopping centres don’t have this at all.

Actually I can’t think of any.

That’s not to say that people shouldn’t be mindful of those with disabilities, they absolutely should.

I was just thinking that

Exactly. My mum uses a walking stick, mostly people always offer for her to go first.

If not, we always ask for a seat for her etc.

She was rude to shout. no one should be shouting or making assumptions about disabilities.

That said, if you were only going up one or two flights I do think it's a bit selfish to use the lift when people with mobility aids and pushchairs are also queuing.

If you're perfectly able to use the stairs and just CBA, it's a rather selfish thing to do. People like @JacquesHarlow have much kinder and more considerate manners.

I must admit I do get wound up in my local Sainsbury’s regarding the lift. I always park on the lower ground as it’s the most empty level - Sainsbury’s itself is on levels 1&2. There are stairs, a travelator thing and a lift (technically 2 but most of the time one doesn’t work). Normally at least one traveltor is broken and the trollies can’t be pushed as the wheels lock on them. So the lift is the only option on the way down. So often there’s a queue of people with just a small bag all trying to cram into the one working lift. I don’t say anything though of course.

What I do find funny though is the amount of people these days that get into a lift and don’t press the button they need. So I get in with my trolley, press lower ground and move to the back to allow others in, then at least 4-5 others get in and just stand there. So we all head down to the lower ground where they all start huffing and sighing when they realise they aren’t in there floor they want. I’ve then got to squeeze my trolley past them as god forbid anyone moves out my way so I can get out. It’s very strange. Honestly it happens at least 50% of my lift trips that people don’t press the button they want.

Anyone can used lifts, but at busy times it is kind of able bodied people to use the stairs when they easily can.

She’s being presumptuous and rude. Plenty of ambulant people have reasons to use a lift that may or may not be health related.

@nomas

The signs are everywhere here in Scotland? Maybe it's a regional thing? I assumed that it was UK wide?

The signs just make it clear that priority should be given to those who have no option other than to use the lifts, which is common sense and common decency really? No-one is saying that the lifts aren't for everyone.

I would have offered the disabled person to go ahead of me when I saw them. Same as a woman with a pram or holding a baby or wrestling a toddler, or an elderly person with a stick or frame. I thought everyone did this.

Because in comparison to you I am a defective human being, so riddled with imperfections small children point at me in the street and burst into hysterical tears 🥱