Twice in the book I'm currently reading (and I believe elsewhere occasionally) I've seen "*on an elevator*" where I (in the UK) would expect "***in** an elevator*". Is "on" a common American usage (the rest of the book uses US spellings) or are they just typos / odd usage by the author?

I searched, but the only reference I could find was [this question on another website](https://www.englishforums.com/English/WhichRightElevatorElevator/brmdnz/post.htm) which basically says "in" all the time.

The book in question is *The Atlantis Gene (Origin Mystery, Book 1)* by A.G.Riddle. The relevant excerpts (my emphasis) are:

> 
> Message: We were getting water together at the desk and got **on the
>  elevator** together. Didn't know if you wanted to get together for a
>  little extra exercise. Tell what floor I got off on.
> 
> 
> `Page 86; Kindle location 1353`
> 
> 
> 

and:

> 
> **On the elevator**, Kate had fought at the guards' vice-grip hold on her
>  arms. They pinned her to the wall until the elevator doors opened,...
> 
> 
> `Page 133; Kindle location 2036`
> 
> 
> 

On searching for the above, I also found:

> 
> Josh felt his mouth go dry. "That's why you grabbed me **off the
>  elevator**."
> 
> 
> `Page 48; Kindle location 749`
> 
> 
> 

where pulling someone "off" an elevator corresponds to them being "on" it beforehand (I'd probably have used "from" or "out of"). However, elsewhere there is:

> 
> Martin stepped **out of the elevator** onto the helipad.
> 
> 
> `Page 128; Kindle location 1970`
> 
> 
> 

rather than "stepped off the elevator".