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.

And...

And...

The whole 'people shouldn't challenge others' about their use of anything... only really works if other people try not to inconvenience folk by using facilities they do not actually need.

So I won't question someone using the disabled toilets or the lift when its super busy... but you won't use those things if you don't actually need to.

As soon as either side of that social contract breaks down, people get challenged and feel bad, and people are inconvenienced.

Having sat in front of lifts in such a way as to not block people getting out, and having had numerous faster to move, able bodied people shove in front of me, making me wait for lift after lift... it does really start to get on my tits, I have to say. And no I cannot just whisk my chair in in front of them, that would risk breaking someones leg given how big and heavy it is and how unobservant people are about their surroundings!

I have also had people cram in the lift after me putting the lift over its weight limit (my chair = 2 people, plus me, so the fact you can physically cram another three or four humans in does not make it ok, if the lift says 5 people and its now containing 7 or 8, it will not work. Then I get glared at of course!

Or, here's a fun one - someones arse is in danger of touching my controller. I could stick my hand in the way, so now my hand is touching a strangers arse, or I could let their arse drive my chair into the person next to us. Either way, I'm getting the blame. So I turn my chair off. But it takes a few seconds to fire up again when I switch it on, so NOW im getting glared at and tutted at for taking a while to get out the lift - into the crowd of people waiting to get in, who assume everyone in the lift is able bodied of course, who all take umbrage at having to shift their arses out of the way and potentially lose their spot in the queue (and woe betide a wheelchair user wanting to come the other way, t hey have to back up to let me out and then a flood of people charge in and the other wheelchair users lost their spot!).

It's just a lift eh. No big deal.

Because it costs me nothing. Small acts of decency towards other people make the world a better place. Also, see the post by @WiddlinDiddlin

Right. So you live somewhere with bigger lifts than me. Congratulations I guess.
That doesn't change the fact that in some places the lifts very much do fill up quickly so able bodied people shouldn't use the limited space. Only my opinion of course.

And if I lived with the borrowers we'd for loads of them in a lift!

Lifts in public places are there for the use of anyone.

I am able to use stairs but I don't really have great balance and there have been a number of near misses with me almost falling so I have to be extremely vigilant on them. I'll therefore always use a lift if one is available.

I'm in my thirties and otherwise fit and healthy but sometimes if I've walked too long an old hip injury flares up and the pain is absolutely unbearable, to the point of being unable to walk. I always feel terrified that someone will tell me off if I take a seat on the bus or use the lift or something. I had some shitty comment thrown at me once and since then I'm petrified. I've resorted to theatrically making it obvious I'm in pain, which of course makes me feel like a twat and also risks looking fake when it's fucking painfully real. Some responses in this thread are depressing.

And....you were wrong in the post I was replying to.
Happy to clear up your confusion.

Maybe she just couldn't be arsed?!

Fucks sake, not everything has to be so bloody deep or "oh won't you think of others" - anyone is entitled to a lazy day when they can't be fucked and want to take the easy option

Yep, anyone can be selfish and entitled....happily many people are not.

Good grief! Someone got up on the wrong side of bed this morning.

YWNBU, OP. Anyone can use the lift for whatever reason they choose and verbally abusing someone waiting in the queue is worse than making someone wait another minute or two. If someone was in desperate need of going ahead of me, whether in a wheelchair or not, and politely explained their greater need, then yes, I'd let them go ahead of me. But needing or only just wanting to use a lift (even if you're technically able to use the stairs) isn't some major moral failing. It doesn't even make you selfish or entitled.

I don't think anyone has implied that the lady in the wheelchair was right, she obviously wasn't. Throughout this thread it's been said that many people may have some form of disability that makes stairs difficult to use, and that isn't always a visible disability.

I think it would be bad form for anyone to confront anyone else who is queueing for a lift.

Personally, I think it's selfish to queue for a lift in a busy shopping centre, when you are perfectly capable of using stairs or escalator, (which would probably be quicker) thus hampering progress of people who have no option than to use the lift.

Unless there are specific signs then she was being ridiculous.

That said, I'm a lot more mindful about this now that I've had to queue with a pushchair myself. Places like shopping centers or cinemas near us have tiny lifts that will only fit a few people, or 1 pushchair / wheelchair at a time with maybe 1 or 2 people squeezing in.

It's frustrating to have to wait ages to allow groups or families with older kids to take the lifts when there are escalators available a few meters away...

They are entitled to do whatever they like though.

At my local shopping mall there are signs by the lifts asking for disabled people and families with young children to be given priority at busy times, but as it wasn’t a busy time I don’t think you did anything wrong.

I wouldn’t use the lift to go up one floor but if I am heading to level 5 or higher of the car park, too right I’ll be using the lift!

Why should she have given way to someone with a pushchair or wheelchair.?Their need to get up or down is no more urgent unless you're in a hospital and late for an appt. I use a lift because I have arthritis in both knees. Other people can judge or not entirely up to them.

No I wasn't. I didn't say what the capacity of a lift was, just that they're rarely reached & my point was a person standing wouldn't really be the reason another pram or wheelchair wouldn't fit into a lift.

hope that helps you.

You don't know the situation of the 'able bodied person' maybe I should fidget outting my blue badge in my car & just hang it around my neck??

I don't know what you'd have expected me to do prior to qualifying for it? Laminated a big 'I know I don't look it, but I am disabled' sign around my neck??

or prior to that even when I wasn't 'disabled' just in absolute fucking agony.

just because at a casual glance I look 'able bodied' doesn't mean I can use the stairs instead of the lift. Or am quick enough with good enough balance to safely use an escalator.

If you can't use the stairs then you aren't able bodied for this particular activity. Not once have I said you should use the stairs.

You obviously don't understand signage, no point discussing further.

I'm presuming they were just small lifts. There's no rules against who can use any lift regardless of size but if it's busy and there's not many lifts or they're small I'd take the stairs especially if I was fully mobile.

Her attitude was poor.

welk, yes you do when you judge people to be 'able bodied' & using facilities you don't think they should. So you are saying they shouldn't be in the queue for the lift or whatever.

its not me that doesn't understand.

I haven't judged anyone. Personally I dont think able bodied people should use the lifts. But it's up to the individuals to make the decision for themselves. I wouldn't tell someone they should use the stairs.

Not sure why you're making it into something it isn't.

So you are being deliberately thick then...OK.😏