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On the contrary, I'd say the elevator thing is only comfortable because it's a social norm. Unless it's a subconscious "face the door so you can see if any attackers enter" thing.
The escalator thing is less universal because it's something that helps other people, and not ourselves. This isn't valued as much in individualistic societies like the ones in most of North America.
Disagree. First of all, you are in an elevator for a very short time, unlike with public transport for example. You might as well be facing the direction you need to go to, so that when the doors open, you go, instead of having to turn and then go.
Second... I regularly take crowded elevators and while it's true that almost nobody stands facing back to the door, it's also true that easily half the people choose to stand sideways, facing the side walls. (Which btw makes someone with a pram or wheelchair easier to get into the elevator). It's a mix of being ready to go and being able to rest your back against the walls of the elevator more than an unspoken social convention.
Edit: hey well, at least in Australia. Maybe wherever you live everyone faces the door in an elevator.
I think the elevator one is the same as escalators: to minimize traffic disruption. If you're facing away from the elevator doors, you can't tell if you're at the right floor (causing a delay), you can't see if there are people interested in entering (another delay), people interested in entering will likely assume this isn't your floor (yet another delay), it takes time to turn around when it is your floor (delay), and you disrupt anyone behind you in the elevator who also wants to exit there.