It's pretty clear that the first two people getting on the elevator take the back corners, and the third person takes the spot in front of and in between them. The fourth person takes the front corner away from the buttons. As people get off, the person in the center shifts to any available corner. It gets harder in residential elevators, when people are "together".

rhapsodie - do you push past people to get to the back corner? I just take the first available space.

Or I guess, now that I think about it, the most recent person to get on always gets the worst spot - in the center, and people move to the corners and edges as density increases.

I go straight to the back right corner, and squeeze myself as far in as possible. I'll push if I have to.

It gets harder in residential elevators

Yeah, then even if it's just you, you still take the corner, but not so far in, you sort of gesture: "welcome to the elevator," you turn towards the person, but look down and smile slightly.

There was a comprehensive elevator article in the New Yorker that discussed this:

Passengers seem to know instinctively how to arrange themselves in an elevator. Two strangers will gravitate to the back corners, a third will stand by the door, at an isosceles remove, until a fourth comes in, at which point passengers three and four will spread toward the front corners, making room, in the center, for a fifth, and so on, like the dots on a die.

Back corner, all the way. Unless it's likely to get very crowded and then I stand in a front corner, but not so close that I become the button bitch.

People usually go to the back and turn to face the door. I walk straight in and stop, facing them. Freaks them out every time.

I'm trying to figure out what this has to do with physics.

I don't push to get the back corner, but it stresses me out to be up front. I've definitely noticed the die-positioning, though if I'm at the back corner I need have to move.

A coworker absolutely has to be up front so she's the first out, and she makes all newcomers push behind her.

Back left corner, if others are following me on, after I've pushed the button or requested the button be pushed, if it's not already lit.

Alone, I lean left near the floor buttons.

After fire drills at my school, anything goes, squeezed on with other teachers, cafeteria staff, maintenance guys, pregnant and handicapped students, the odd delivery guy with bad timing. I'm certain we're over the weight limit.

If it's the elevator at the Fordham metronorth train station, where I get off, I stand in the middle, away from the walls (the elevator doubles as a portopotty in off hours, I'm afraid. One morning last year, there were a couple of neatly formed shit meatballs deposited in the back. Yes, I rode anyway). I also wait before getting on to make sure no one sketchy's looking to try to get on with me. (I had an uncomfortable situation a few weeks back and had to take the stairs.)

I am dying to ride all the way up to the top of the Empire State Building. We can see the top of it from the back of our apartment. I wanna go up and see if we can see our apartment from there.

Next to the buttons, with my back to the wall so I can stare people in the eye and make them uncomfortable.

By the buttons if I'm alone, back corner if I can (provided there are other people on board). If I can't get to the corner any wall will do as long as I can have my back to it. I hate hate hate floating in the middle.

Ladies, if you think this is complicated, you should see the complex algorithm every man has hard-wired into his head when approaching a wall of urinals.

Dave Barry and former NFL superstar Dan Marino have your play-by-play.

I always stay up front near the buttons. It makes me feel in charge and if someone else, or I, farts I can jump out at the next stop.

"you should see the complex algorithm every man has hard-wired into his head when approaching a wall of urinals."

Right next to the lone guy with a hale and hearty "How you doin!?".

People usually go to the back and turn to face the door. I walk straight in and stop, facing them. Freaks them out every time.
Heh, I do this sometimes. Particularly if I'm wearing a backpack, because I end up knocking someone over otherwise.

Urinals? No thanks. Unless all the stall are full, that's where you'll find me. If they are all full, then the urinal algorithm kicks in.

"you should see the complex algorithm every man has hard-wired into his head when approaching a wall of urinals."

I went through this today as I approached the voting machines. 4 machines with both end machines full. The machines had about 3 inches between em. Which one of the two middle ones do ya pick...