Tell people that the numbers on the buttons inside a lift tell it how many passengers there are, so it knows how hard to pull. So if there are three passengers, you press number 3, etc.
Pay people to provide you with above-board information. Eg ask someone for directions then, as you walk off, furtively press a fiver into their hand. Or walk into a shop and ask a sales assistant if they sell a certain thing, all the while letting them see a wad of notes in your inside pocket.