Elevators are one of the most uncomfortable social environments the public has to offer. You’re trapped in a tube with a bunch of strangers. You’re packed incredibly closely with people of all different hygienic statuses. Worst of all, you’re supposed to stay silent to avoid making people uncomfortable. Everybody’s already uncomfortable in an elevator, and casual conversation is unlikely to solve this problem. 

If there’s one thing I respect, it’s the ability to clear out a crowded elevator. Eloise, the little girl who lived at the Plaza Hotel, did it quickly in the Elosie cinematic universe. She asked her fellow elevator riders, «Has anyone seen my pet mouse?» and in seconds, she’d be alone with the elevator operator, Max. Announcing the presence of rodents has got to be one of the worst things you can say in an elevator, and Redditors shared some of their picks for the WOAT (Worst of All Time): Elevator conversation edition.