Brits and lift etiquette

[Martinus]

Do Brits not normally say "hello" and "good bye" when entering / exiting a lift with other people or am I encountering a particularly rude bunch? I am in London on business this week and noone ever seems to do that - it is pretty common in Poland.

[Josquius]

Depends whether you accidentally make eye contact with them or not.

[Liep]

Depends whether you accidentally make eye contact with them or not.

Heaven forbid!

[Gups]

You might nod if you know a particular person or say good morning/evening but it's certainly not expected.

Lift etiquette is not complex. Don't enter until everyone exiting as exited. Don't fart.

[Gups]

Also, if you are in Canary Wharf, all you are thinking about is how you can get out of that awful, soulless place.

[HVC]

And if you do fart make sure it's just before you leave the elevator.

[celedhring]

It's pretty common here too to greet people when entering a lift. I have seen in it ignored in office buildings though. Seems being rude is a prerequisite of going corporate.

[garbon]

Why would you speak to people you don't know if you don't have to?

[Brazen]

With strangers? Good Lord, no. I will only exchange pleasantries with people from my company whom I see every day and know by name.

Otherwise you get in, press your floor button, stand as far away from any other individuals as physics will allow and turn silently to face the door until you'r finally released from close proximity to other humans.

[Tamas]

With strangers? Good Lord, no. I will only exchange pleasantries with people from my company whom I see every day and know by name.

Otherwise you get in, press your floor button, stand as far away from any other individuals as physics will allow and turn silently to face the door until you'r finally released from close proximity to other humans.

Even if I complain about the little things  ("how are you" as a form of greeting, destroying their own high-flying economy via brexit etc), I find general/expected British temperament to be very much in line with my own.

[celedhring]

I don't know. I like people. 

[Syt]

In Austria it will depend. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. I prefer no. I see a lift as a form of transport, and I generally don't say hi to people on the tram, subway, or plane, either.

[Tamas]

I don't know. I like people. 

But that's the great thing here: IF communication is necessary/warranted, everyone is super-kind and usually helpful, too. It's just that you don't climb into other people's personal space and life if you don't have to.

[celedhring]

I don't know. I like people. 

But that's the great thing here: IF communication is necessary/warranted, everyone is super-kind and usually helpful, too. It's just that you don't climb into other people's personal space and life if you don't have to.

We are talking about greeting people you're going to be pretty physically close for a few moments, not asking them for a date.

You are already invading other people's space in a lift (and vice versa). Being friendly is a way to defuse that tension.

[Tamas]

In the lift of my first home here, we did greet each other with other residents of the building, so it's not like you never ever talk to people.