1. Closing the elevator doors when someone is trying to get on
Closing elevator doors when someone is trying to get on is one of my biggest pet peeves since coming to college. Growing up in a small town, there weren't elevators like there are in my college town. Just the other day, I was getting in an elevator to study on the top floor of the library. When I approached the doors, there was a guy who locked eyes with me and closed the elevator doors. I would've easily made it into the elevator if he would've waited for the doors to close themselves. If the elevator was full, or the doors had closed themselves, I would've understood.
2. Getting off the elevator first when you're in the back
Another pet peeve I have dealing with elevators is when people at the back of the elevator shove their way to get out of the elevator. Naturally, it would seem that the people closest to the doors would exit first. Some people can't wait 2 seconds and have to shove themselves out of the elevator first.
3. Volunteering someone's answer as your own
Often, professors will ask people to group up and discuss a specific topic. Then, we're either asked as a team to present, or individually volunteer our answers. Once, I had a class where we discussed a paper. One kid didn't participate as a group, but when we were able to talk individually, he raised his hand quickly and reiterated what members of our group had said. In a class that is graded on the number of times we participate, I was peeved. He took mine and other members of our groups' original ideas and got credit for it. If you didn't read something or didn't contribute to the group discussion, I think it's annoying to take someone else's ideas, ESPECIALLY if someone could lose participation points, because you took their idea.
4. Leaving trash
Before I started college, I thought that as college students, we were at the age when we should know better than to trash a place. I was wrong. Some people leave their trash scattered on tables, or desks. I don't see how someone can't take a minute to throw away their trash. I hate it when people leave their discarded garbage all over the place.
5. Talking loudly in the quiet areas of libraries
At my school, there are specific areas of the undergraduate library that is known to be quieter. Specifically, the higher you go in the library, the quieter you should be. I don't mind quiet conversation on the top floor, but I hate it when people are caring out loud conversations or large group projects that you can hear across the library.
Beware: Invisible Disability Causes Hazard When Taking the Stairs
The hurtful comments are heard and you look inconsiderate to those of us living with an invisible disability.
Sometimes those of us who have physical disabilities get upset when we have to be excluded from fun things such as family holiday games, keeping up pace with friends at the gym, or tolerating the heat of July mixed with the noise of fireworks on the 4th. Knowing there are some things in life you just aren't able to do, or misery will prevail if you choose to do them, really freaking sucks. At 19 years old, it makes you wonder what some of the bigger steps in life will look like. However, I do know I can't take the steps and the elevator is the safest option currently.
You might see it as laziness for not going up one flight of stairs, while I know it's saving my body from collapsing. Five years of living with a collapsed iliac leg vein, intractable migraine, daily persistent headaches, Ehlers Daniels Syndrome (EDS), neuropathy in my hands and feet, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), and immense brain fog is REALLY challenging. It's not only physically draining, but mentally as well. This is especially true as a full time college student living out of state. So at the end of a long day or in the morning right after I've gotten out of bed, stairs are really dangerous.
I've missed steps and fallen forward down compete flights of stairs. The danger in that is EDS equals loose connective muscle causes for a looseness in joints; this leads for them to easily pop out of the socket. I have the vascular version so I bruise extremely easily. Simply bumping into the counter will leave a huge bruise, never mind tripping up a few steps. With POTS, I get dizzy and blackout frequently. If I'm going to fall, I'd prefer it not to be down a flight of stairs on a rough surface. I already have major issues with migraine pain; the goal is no concussions meaning not increasing chronic migraine pain.
So you can think one flight of stairs is nothing and you are able to think that. However, I guarantee that to a person with an invisible disability, stairs are everything. They are the difference between a surgery and no surgery. They are the difference between life long injuries and continuing on with our current battle. They are the difference between exasperated pain and making it where we have to be while staying at our current pain level.
Elevators are lifesavers. They are a simple solution for those of us unable to take the stairs; that's why we have first right to them. If you've never noticed, there's little signs outside most elevators stating that. On the downside, they lead to cruelty from careless strangers; the quiet comments you just can't shake. The comments are an inconsiderate method of being ignorant, while choosing to pass up a learning opportunity.
Invisible Disabilities are everywhere. Use your ability of kindness we all have to be more understanding and willing to give people the benefit of the doubt. Remember that just because you cannot see something doesn't mean it's not there or isn't happening. So beware of your gift; challenge yourself to be the one to take the stairs.