We give equivalences for conditions like $X(T(r))/r\rightarrow 1$
and $X(T^{*}(r))/\allowbreak r\rightarrow 1$, where the convergence is in
probability or almost sure, both as $r\rightarrow 0$ and $r\rightarrow \infty$,
where $X$ is a L\'{e}vy process and $T(r)$ and $T^{*}(r)$ are the first exit
times of $X$ out of the strip $\{(t,y):t> 0,|y|\leq r\}$ and half-plane
$\{(t,y):t> 0$, $y\leq r\}$, respectively. We also show, using a result of
Kesten, that $X(T^{*}(r))/r\rightarrow 1$ a.s.\ as $r\to 0$ is equivalent to
$X$ ``creeping'' across a level.