if only it were just elevators

what is it about the enclosed space of an elevator that keeps us quiet? is it a New Yorker thing? do people in other cities speak to one another whilst riding in an elevator? standing sometimes so close you are touching. breathing the same canned air. all just slightly afraid that the elevator might. just. drop. but that's just an excuse. it just feels awkward. maintaining social graces: the polite smile, the silent hello, the guardedly cordial nod. why don't we just speak? even when I do, at the hotel, with a guest, it feels weird, out of place - and my entire job is talking to these people! being in an elevator makes me giggle nervously. the very close presence of another in this moving box. i can feel the other passenger's body tense, holding in her breath. waiting. in silence. what is it about this world that makes people so afraid to interact with each other?