If there was an afterlife and if there were heaven and hell, set up on a floor up and down respectively, I think what probably takes you there at the end of your life would be an escalator. Not an elevator or a staircase, but just a gently paced escalator to transit those waiting from the waiting area to whatever awaits them to wherever they are headed.
The lift would be too quick don’t you think? All the excitement and anticipation of what heaven would be or the dreariness recounting all your sins on your way down could last a little longer. Especially the way down is a punishment in itself proportional to the time it takes. Also, it’d be a damnable waste of energy to transport the empty lifts back to pick them, people. Heavens people don’t deserve that crowded sweaty packed boxes as everyone might be in a hurry. Don’t think the hells people in any hurry to get to burning forever, but their concerns do not matter here I guess.
The staircases – let’s just straightaway agree that it is pointless. Come on, the countless stairs. If anyone is found counting the number of stairs that leads you anywhere beyond life on this earth can already be deemed to be in hell. So stop counting. Also, who is being punished here the people climbing up or down? Maybe they can keep the stairs if they could switch heaven and hell’s floor.
The escalator, however, imho(in my honest opinion(just saving your trouble here, in case if you didn’t know what it stands for)) provides for a better reminiscence of life while standing as an allegory for life itself. Life of their own. First, let us settle on the logistics. You just need to set up one-way transit and there’s not much loss of energy in any way as it’ll never run empty as long as there is a steady supply of people, and that we humans can promise. Also at a steady pace, there’s no rushing in the immigration process, if they had any policies as such in place. Let’s just assume even if it was there it’s be done in a jiffy in heaven. It’d be more pleasurable than to have no process at all. They scan you as you walk in and someone at the gate welcomes you and hands you a welcome guide and information bulletin and an ID. You never have to wait. However, in hell, they still keep the records on paper. You fill out the forms, get a token, stand in an endless queue and move from counter to counter manned by the ill-equipped people, with lifetime experiences of handling such work here. Let us not get ahead of ourselves. The Escalator again, imagine the people getting on them. The old hesitant and in no hurry letting the young pass by, patiently get on and wait cautiously to get off. The middle-aged cluelessly look around wondering how they ended up here, but still sincerely standing upright however inclined their views are. The young, as if they are in a hurry, look rather stranded and impatient trying to get ahead a few steps. The children running up and down like it’s a game, not giving a heck. The babies wrapped by warm bosoms have nothing to worry. They never get hungry and never cry. They keep smiling as if they are being swirled. And they all go to heaven.
But what if they had some advanced tech like personalized instant portals? Yeah, maybe.