Even with the unique batch of students on each elevator ride, some things always remain the same. The brief moments spent in the elevators bring forward consistent character archetypes, even if they happen to be performed by different people each time.

First, there are two key types of elevator rides: crowded ones, and the not so crowded ones. Crowded is by far more common, especially given the number of people in the building at any given time during the school day. Much like traffic, there is an ebb and flow to the number of people on the elevator based on the time of day. Before class first thing in the morning, after each lunch period, the moment after the dismissal bell, and, more rarely, after fire drills, are the most common maximum-occupancy elevator rides.

Anyone who has taken the elevator at all knows the feeling. There are always far more than 15 people, there’s never enough room, and there is no way to avoid the awkward eye contact that always happens. Often, a few extra people will push in, oblivious to the groaning of everyone already there, and these push types make themselves comfortable – at the expense of everyone else. Some people wind up standing on each other’s feet, pushed up against the wall, or mushed against an overly bulky backpack. When the first wave of people get off, it’s always a relief; when others get on at random floors, it’s an extra, usually unnecessary inconvenience.

As we all know, empty elevators are hard to come by. The best time for any empty elevator is, of course, in the middle of the day or the middle of a class period. While certainly better than the crowded times, empty elevators don’t provide nearly as much to gripe with, unless you count the sudden ability to see all the stray trash usually concealed by others’ feet.

As for the people on the elevator, there are also several types: the annoying, the lazy, the quiet, and the friendly. The quiet people simply keep to themselves and the friendly are the ones who try to start some small talk to break the ice. The annoying award goes to the aforementioned uninvited elevator crammers. Then there are the annoying types who alight the elevator with their music playing too loud. The most irritating of all, however, are the people who move too much – punching each other, shifting around too closely to you, or even deciding to jump for no reason.

Those who overlap with the annoying are the “lazy” group. Let’s be honest: Everyone is lazy about the stairs at some point. What isn’t understandable are the people who, for example, get on at the third floor then get off at the fourth floor. Can we all agree that if someone is physically capable of walking up one floor, they should walk up the one floor? “It’s pretty funny when everyone talks trash about these lazy types as soon as that person leaves, though,” said sophomore Nailah Willoughby. “It’s a weird little bonding exercise. I like it.”

Elevators kind of define North Atlanta, don’t they? From the people, to the occupancy, to the chance of getting stuck. It’s all a pretty up and down experience, but it’s always worth taking the ride.