Addressing line cutting, round trips through proposed elevator policy

De La Salle University, in most of its buildings, offers the use of elevators for patrons who wish to move from one floor to another. The most commonly used elevators are found at the Don Enrique Yuchengco Hall, Velasco Hall, Don Enrique Razon Sports Center, Henry Sy, Sr. Hall, and Br. Andrew Gonzalez Hall.

Incidents of boisterous behavior, line cutting, round tripping, and grandstanding – all by students – have often been reported at the Br. Andrew Gonzalez Hall elevators.

(Dis)orderly conduct

The Student Discipline Formation Office (SDFO) reminds students that elevator patrons are expected to abide by proper decorum when using elevators inside campus. Promoting courtesy among patrons, the SDFO reminds people using the elevators not to make round trips and press unnecessary floor buttons, among other things.

“There was this time last term where the elevator was already full, but three girls squished themselves in, and we found out they were only going two floors below the floor we were on,” shares Ea Francisco (II, ISE-LGL) in Filipino. While there is no provision regarding this matter under the SDFO’s guide on proper elevator decorum, the SDFO upholds the advantages of using stairs as opposed to the elevators “when travelling one to two floors.”

Although this is the case, a lack of courtesy and discipline among Lasallians still remains the root cause of these untoward incidents. Several elevator patrons still report instances of students cutting lines, making round trips, and pressing buttons of floors that they do not intend to go to.

Regarding round trips, Ronald Encabo, the Discipline Enforcement Section Head of the SDFO, explains that students using the Andrew elevators “will stay and wait for the elevator nearest to or on the 18^th floor or at the 2^nd floor [of the building].” Furthermore, Encabo describes how students tend to cut lines, sharing, “[Some] just go to their friends on the line nearest to the elevator door, so that they could ride without too much effort.”

In addition, Encabo enumerates the following as other common complaints SDFO receives from elevator patrons: Students not following the existing waiting lines, pressing the buttons of all serviceable floors, leaving trash inside the elevators, and talking too loudly.

Crowd/pest control

Encabo recounts that during the first few years of the Andrew elevators’ operations, “The SDFO initiated to monitor and guide the students riding the elevator the whole day.” This was, however, discontinued. He explains that to contain the rush of elevator patrons hurrying to their next destinations, the Safety and Security Office (SSO) was requested to assist students inside the elevator and to discourage students attempting to make round trips.

Through this initiative, security guards have been stationed in Andrew elevators particularly during rush hours, Associate Vice President for Campus Services Jay Calleja confirms. “On the side of the SDFO, we have SDFO Officers stationed in different areas or buildings to monitor the behavior of students in the elevators,” Dean of Student Affairs Fritzie De Vera counters.

Encabo also adds that the Buildings and Grounds Maintenance Office placed some cue posts for the elevator lines but these were ignored by students. “Now, the Physical Facilities Office redesigned the destination of the four [Andrew] elevators,” he states.

LA approved

Because it is still common for patrons to experience unruly behavior from other people when using campus elevators, the University Student Government (USG) Legislative Assembly (LA) has passed a resolution calling for the creation of an elevator policy in the student handbook.

Passed on June 13, the resolution was authored by Reigner Sanchez of EDGE2013, Geanne Custodio of EDGE2012, and Pia del Rosario of 66^th ENG. The resolution is proposing to create a provision governing the proper usage of campus elevators in the student handbook. The resolution particularly targets to address line cutting and round tripping. The rationale of the proposal is to “instill discipline and order in the student body with regards to elevator usage,” the resolution reads.

The resolution aims to classify line cutting and round tripping as minor offenses. “I believe [doing so] would stop the problem because the students would know that [round tripping and line cutting] are against the policies here in school,” Sanchez explains.

In addition, the resolution suggests that different public signs be displayed inside and outside the campus elevators to remind students of the proper etiquette when using the elevators. Sanchez hopes that such signage will also address the problems of boisterous behavior of some students.

Different USG units distributed a survey about the common incidents Lasallians experience when using campus elevators before proposing the elevator policy resolution. One of the questions included in the survey asked whether students who line cut or make round trips be penalized. Majority of the respondents concurred to this suggestion.

Sanchez believes that the proposal has a good chance of being accepted and included in the student handbook revisions set to take place this academic year. “I am positive about it,” he says. “The LA supports the proposed elevator policy, and Student Affairs Dean Fritzie [de Vera] agrees with it. We just hope that it will be implemented well like the other policies,” he ends.