Elevator Etiquette

Maybe it's because I grew up in a different part of the country. I tell myself that a lot when confronted with random acts of thoughtlessness. I'd rather think that being from the South means I have different (not better, just different) standards of general human interaction than folks here in the Pacific Northwest. It seems less curmudgeonly than the alternative which is that manners are no longer being taught anywhere, the culture is coarsening, and we're all going to hell in a handbasket.

Either way, certain very basic rules of etiquette may need to be spelled out to some people. On elevators I'd start with these.

1. Let people out before you get in.

2. (closely related to #1) Step back and give people room to get out of the elevator.

Come on, people. Can't we all just get along?

ps. This also applies to subway cars, but since we stupidly don't have subways here in Seattle, I don't get regularly irritated by lack of common courtesy in that setting.