HOPPING INTO THE lift of where you work, live or frequently visit might seem like a time saving move.

But it is also monumentally awkward and generally difficult.

Just thinking about this will make you cringe.

1. The awkward silence

Michelle Vink / YouTube

Yourself and your lift partners are all there in the same small space trying your best not to communicate and answer imaginary texts on your phones.

And nobody talks.

Nobody.

Horrible.

2. Eye contact

A painless lift experience requires not making any eye contact with your fellow strangers.

But when you do it’s the worst.

Do you strike up a conversation?

Hop out at the next stop?

Babble nervously?

Awful.

3. Sexual tension

Whenever you get into a lift and there’s clearly sexual tension happening between other people there (not you sadly) you just want to exit at the next stop before something like this happens:

4. Farts

Look we’re just going to say it.

If somebody farts in the lift we’re all in trouble.

Trapped in a small space with people you can’t speak to because one of them has let out some gas.

Very upsetting.

jamming93 / YouTube

5. The dress code

via TV Tropes

If you’re visiting a friend who works in a fancy place or just sneaking downstairs in your pyjamas in your own apartment block sometimes you might feel like you’ve misjudged the elevator dress code.

You’ve got your baggiest tracksuit bottoms on and your lift neighbour is dolled up for a day at the races.

Not good.

6.  People taking selfies

Imagine being caught in a lift with someone taking pictures of themselves.

Better to be the person who photobombs it we suppose:

Eswiderski / Instagram

7. The music

It’s usually that weird background music that doesn’t sound like anything, piped in to make you feel relaxed but really just makes you feel even more awkward.

Anthony Vapor / YouTube

8. Panic attacks

If you are in anyway claustrophobic then lifts are where your fears are put to the test.

Just close your eyes and think happy thoughts.

Or watch this rather unfunny sketch about claustrophobia in a lift:

runawaybox / YouTube

9. Mild paranoia

You try not to entertain it while you’re in the lift but what if you got stuck in there?

What if you were in there for days with just your phone and the half of a granola bar in your pocket for company?

Just the thought gives us shivers.

10.  People having conversations non-stop

Sometimes you get in the lift and it’s not all deathly silence.

In fact it’s just people having a great ol’ chat about something that has nothing to do with you for the duration.

You end up standing there like this:

11. Leaving the lift

There’s nothing more awkward than trying to get out of a lift when you’ve ended up at the back.

You want your exit to be like this:

But usually you end up squeezing past a bunch of people awkwardly so that when the doors open you just look like this:

That does it, we’re using the stairs from now on.

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