Make your hand dance while in your pocket.

I sometimes (read almost always) dance in elevators when I'm in them alone - I don't see why something similar couldn't work with fellow riders - it's only 4 floors after all.

every day as you get in and the door close, mace one of them while shouting "stop molesting children! stop molesting children or i'm gonna turn you in to the @#$@$ing police!"

soon the waters will part to allow you to ride the elevator in peaceful silence by yourself.

Smile at poeple. You'll guilt them into starting the convo ;)

Just be outgoing and say hi, or just smile. or do both. :)

Yeah, smile and be like "Hello! How are you? What's your name?" etc. Which, when you get more friendly it goes to "OMG I NEED MORE COFFEE...you?".

Talking to yourself with or without one of those cell phone borg things for your ear works. Make sure it's absurd like "Yeah I KNOW, I can't BELIEVE she ate a whole large meat lovers by HERSELF last night, she can't weigh more than 80 lbs at 4"4", midgets are amazing! No, no, a gentleman never talks about that."

However, I vote for the mace-ing thing, cause that's effing awesome.

-Porch

hell, you don't even need a cell phone for that one. if you want people to think you're nuts, just have a convo without a headset. if you want to amuse people (but still have them think you're relatively sane), just pop a headset in your ear and tuck the end in your pocket. >:) you could have a lot of fun with that, without running up minutes...

"So yeah, thats why my brother always said leave your condoms in the car."

*As people get on* "And thats how I cleaned the blood out of my clown suit. Yep. No stains this time."

Sing along to something on your IPod.

If you see the same people to the point you recognize them and feel a bit of camaraderie, just smile and nod.

Personally I hate it when strangers talk to me. A smile and nod, however, is nice. I will occasionally strike up conversation, and conversely will not mind if conversation is struck, if there's some sort of conversation starter. Like, sometimes I'll ask someone on the train about their odd commute contraptions-- little scooters and collapsible bikes and such. And sometimes a random conversation won't bother me-- usually if it's someone asking me about a book I'm reading. In most cases though, I get rather suspicious when random strangers start trying to make conversation. It might be different if they were coworkers, but all I have to compare your situation to is the crazy homeless people on BART who sometimes tell me about their lord Jesus Christ. *shudder*

May I please point out, while it may be different in your elevator, the second the doors close on my own twenty-floor stretch of awkward silence, all cell phone reception abruptly dies...?

So, if you go with the cell phone ideas, people may not believe you. Which may work to your advantage, if you want to broadcast loudly and clearly "DO NOT TALK TO ME". *shrug* I'm not saying that's the impression you want to give, just that it's the impression that may be perceived.

As for me, I usually just continue reading the paperback that I was reading when I walked from my desk to the elevator and ignore everyone who gets on. People usually get the hint and I don't have to suffer the awkward smiles and nods and crap. :-)

I'm a big fan of screaming FIRE, myself.

Why not just ask in what department they work? How long they've been with the company? How do they like it?

Personally, I hate being around people I see all the time and not knowing their names, what they do, etc. I introduce myself to anyone I can.