I was in an elevator in the Melville Library the other day when two women, or should I call them children because of their lack of civility, commented on how lazy people were that they used an elevator to go up or down one floor.

The next floor a women got out and said she had an injury. After the doors closed the two girls had a conversation almost verbatim to the following:

Child one “Oh my God I can’t believe she waited until she got off to say something It’s not like you were gunna punch her”

Child two: “I know”

Then the first girl said the most immature thing of all “When I had a broken foot I used the stairs.” At this point I wanted to scream at them but I decided not to waste my energy on people who are too immature to understand why I would be upset.

The funny thing is what’s the difference between one and two or even three floors. I mean those girls entered on the first floor, they only went up a few floors. Why didn’t they take the stairs?

The worst thing is that this isn’t the first time I’ve heard Stony Brook students complain and wonder why people are so “lazy” that they use the elevator instead of the stairs.

Well, I thought I’d give all those people a simple answer: It’s none of your business!

It seems that many students  assume that if you’re not in a wheelchair you can take the stairs up a floor or down a floor or perhaps even walk five floors.

Everyone has heard the expression that looks can be deceiving, and frankly it’s not anyone’s business why someone chooses to use the elevator in the Melville Library or even in any Stony Brook building. Just because you think one of the over 22,000 students, faculty or community member looks healthy does not mean they are.

Some people could have a disability, a disease, an injury, an illness or another reason that prevents them from using the stairs. Or maybe, just maybe, they just don’t want to. Furthermore just because one person uses the stairs with a broken foot doesn’t mean that everyone else has to use the stairs.

Everyone’s entitled to their own thoughts and comments but one is not entitled to insult someone. If you’re standing next to someone and they have bad breath do you say something?

What if you’re standing next to some random person online and their make-up looks clownish do you turn and tell them they look like a clown?

What if you see a person eating ice cream who in your opinion should not be eating it- do you walk up to them and tell them they’re too fat and should eat a carrot?

I should hope not. So why would you call people lazy for using the elevator, especially when you’re in one too.

This is one of those cases when people who have nothing useful to say should not say anything at all.