Stuck in an Elevator?

A bottle of good scotch and a single, willing female companion to pass the time.

Oh, and a rescue that wasn't too rapid.

Being stuck there with an available 'Chick'!

That poor girl's shirt seems to be shrinking.

I think she needs to dry it a few more times myself.

Half of the fun is seeing her shirt get wet!

^{Oh-oh! I see the naughty step being pulled from storage}

I know, but if you dry it then you can get it wet all over again. From there you just keep repeating for non stop fun for all.

not being stuck in it......seriously.

It was many years ago but the memory is still vivid.

We had a large elderly woman on board that was a screamer and a crier.

There was nothing any of us could do to calm her.

We were stuck for 15 to 20 minutes but is seemed like a week!

When the maintenance guy popped open the ceiling hatch and poked his head in, this woman let out a scream that I think punctured my left ear drum.

The building maintenance crew were great.

As a field technician for many years, part of that duty was to answer emergency calls for stuck passengers. Most building managers and firemen will wait for the elevator tech to get there if its reasonable response time. Having said that; in 25+ years of being involved in elevator work on all levels, I've only once had to remove a passenger via the top escape hatch. Other times I've always been able to safely move the elevator. Has anyone been removed via car-top hatch? Joe

We were not removed via the top (much to the appreciation of the screaming Betty on board I'm sure).

To clarify, the maintenance guy dropped in to the cab, did his thing and the doors opened although the cab was a foot or so above the level of the outside floor. Another maintenance guy was outside to help everyone out of the cab.

This was in the Marshal Field Annex Building in downtown Chicago, circa 1975 or so. At the time the existing elevators had recently been replaced with automatic ones (no human operator).

Don't know if the maintenance guys were actual elevator techs but like I said they were great!

How about two playmates of the year, a case of Bud Light, a winning power ball ticket and a video camera to prove it really happened. Now if this would only come true.

A WORKING emergency call button.

A time ago I saw an emergency intercom in an (Otis? / Schindler?) elevator that allegedly was connected to a help desk IN A NEARBY COUNTRY! Aint it cool???

Most of the major elevator companies have centralized call centers. Business wise it makes sense and works well once all the key players are in place. Callers feel better dealing with locals and it gives the sense of community when a problem happens. Joe

My Boss and myself had been sent from N.J. to California to check out some equipment. On our 3rd day coming down the elevator to the lobby, it stopped in mid-floor. We were contacted back on the intercom and told help was there and was there anything they could do. I replied my Boss was claustrophobic and they really should hurry. (he's not) But he told them he could really use a drink after about ten minutes. When the elevator eventually moved and the doors opened they were standing there with a tray full of bottled waters. My Boss started laughing and said "that's not the type of drink I had in mind!" We went to the bar and enjoyed free drinks during happy hour until we left for dinner.

It was more what they did for us afterwards then what could have been done while stuck. Unless your in freefall the best thing to do is remain calm and wait. As long as there is communication to be told "work is under way" soothing music will only drive me batty. Jimmy Hendrix by Muzak is really creepy!!!!!

One of my most memorable "rescues" was in the late 1980's in Denver, CO. Several folks were stuck in the high-rise elevator and me and my buddy spent almost a couple hours getting them out. I was positioned on the car-top and talked to the passengers while we slowly moved the elevator. We had a injured elevator guy on the car-top with me (looooong story) and the passengers were a bit nervous in the service. I promised all 5 of them, who were on their way to lunch when entrapment happened, them the best lunch in Denver at the Brown Derby hotel after we got out. My boss paid for a huge feast and he wasn't smiling about that. One of the trapped passengers wrote a book about the history of Bell Telephone and all signed a copy and gave it to me as a thanks for "being there". Interesting thing about claustrophobic people; I have only encountered two people who truly had that condition in the extreme. One would walk up and down 13 flights of stairs 4 or more times a day to reach her office, and the enclosed stairwell made her shaken. The other......well I'll write that interesting happenstance later. Joe Joe

Angelina Jolie