I usually take the elevators at work because I work at a higher floor than what a normal person can do on the steps without a large amount of huffing and panting so this morning, I hoped on as usual and pushed the button for my floor. The door closes and it starts to move up, nothing out of the ordinary. All of a sudden, it reaches the 5th floor and it stops. The button with the fireman's helmet lights up, the digital readout out says 'F5' or something like that, bells ring and an automated voice says over and over "Elevator 3 is stuck on floor 5....elevator 3 is stuck on floor 5....". I have a panic attack for a moment before I realized it is only me on here so I have to do something which leads me to push the HELP button. This is linked to a phone somehow but today of all days, it sounded like it took forever to connect and then dial whatever number it is linked to. By this time, unbeknownst to me in my attempt to not go too crazy, the elevator is moving downwards and the door reopens on the ground floor. I nearly pull a Pope and kiss the floor as I exit and make a beeline for one of the two stairwells. Thanks to the adrenalin, it wasn't until I had reached the 4th floor that I finally thought that perhaps I should stop and breathe again. I only had two more floors to go which while not enjoyable, was doable.
About an hour later, this email is sent around:
Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 7:19 AM
Subject: Elevators today
Please forward to staff:
Just a reminder that the elevator inspection is taking place today. This means that some elevators will be out of service for short periods of time. There may also be times when you’re in the elevator and it takes you to the ground floor even if you were headed to another. The display will flash FS for fire service. This will happen on purpose as part of the fire service test and the car will be released manually by the elevator mechanic.
It would have been nice to know this beforehand say yesterday before everyone leaves for the day instead of giving them near panic attacks. I would send a complaint email but I'm not sure who it should go to. The person that sent this is only the building manager's back up. I think I just may and she can forward it to the proper area.
Update: I sent an email.
Hi, Eileen.
I realize you are just the back up building manager and that you guys pass on the information as you receive it but as someone who was on an elevator bright and early this morning when this happened and knowing the track record of breaking down our elevators have, it would have been appreciated more if this bit of info had been sent out yesterday prior to everyone leaving. In addition to the display flashing, the alarms went off as did the automated voice saying that Elevator 3 was stuck on the 5th floor as it came to a stop. For anyone unaware of their testing procedures, for all intents and purposes, the elevator was stuck. If they were testing, why was anyone even allowed on it or why didn’t they at least have signs posted in the elevator itself warning of this?
Please pass this on to appropriate area.
Not too shabby, eh?
5 comments:
That sucks. The elevator that is. A day late? That sucks.
I was on an elevator that went up three floors and then fell back fast enough to knock all 20 or so of us guys onto our knees. I learned that those load capacity signs aren't kidding. We were trapped half a floor below ground level for almost an hour. When they opened the door and 20 college guys came tumbling out, they asked us to sign our names on a piece of paper. I dutifully put someone elses name down and that was that. The ones dumb enough to sign their real names got in trouble.
College guys are funny. Did they get into trouble because they thought you guys did it on purpose? I would have thought it was lawsuit prevention. I'm thinking of a lawsuit for mental anguish myself. Ok, not really but the more I thought about it, the more ticked off I got yesterday. The building manager and I had a few emails back and forth. On a brighter note, I took the steps again today although I would not do that again while wearing a vinyl raincoat. A little bit warm.
They got in trouble for clearly disobeying the sign that said don't exceed ten people or 2500 pounds. Seeing it was an eight story building and we fell only two and a half stories before slamming the hard stops, I feel even with a slap on the wrist they got off lucky.
I hate vinyl raincoats! I would rather be rain wet than sweat wet.
I was going to say something, then I read Ed's comments and am now speechless! I was never drunk enough in college to try to overload an elevator... and thinking that future engineers did that!
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