posted April 15 2008 03:42 PM                

I've been twice stuck in an elevator. The first time was at the Courthouse Metro station in Arlington. I had just moved to the area, and had a couple of high-school friends visiting from out-of-town. As we're riding down the elevator, one of my friends comments how sturdy the elevators were. "Yeah, they build these like tanks," I said, as if I knew what I was talking about. So my two jackass friends start jumping up and down, timing it so the elevator sways just a little bit. Metal against metal, the elevator screeches to a halt, not near enough to the bottom for us to exit that way. 2 hours later, the fire department ends up pulling us up and out. I don't talk to those guys much anymore.

The second time was much more recently, here in my apartment building. Riding up from the laundry room, the power flickers, and the elevator just stops. The control panel doesn't respond. From what I gather, very much like what happened to the hapless fellow in the video. I was only stuck for 45 minutes. 41 hours, I would think I'd be a total basketcase.

posted April 15 2008 05:12 PM                

A coworker of mine died a horrible death in an elevator incident in my office building in Alexandria just under 20 years ago.  She was claustrophic and, instead of staying put when the power went out and the elevators stopped (like the others who were on with her), she tried to climb out of the elevator, which was halfway between floors.  She lost her balance and plummeted 10-15 stories to her death.  They had to bring in grief counselors for the employees of the agency.  There are people in my building who couldn't even get IN an elevator for a long while after that.  So, for obvious reasons, I am not even going to try to watch the "stuck elevator guy" video.  (shudder)

P.S. I was stuck in an elevator in my office building for about 45 minutes once.  I was amazingly calm...but then, at least at that time, we had a company monitoring our elevators 24/7 so when you pressed the button, someone spoke to you and it helped me to stay calm knowing someone was "there."

posted April 15 2008 06:41 PM           

I used to do that "bang against the sides" thing too, especially when I ended up in an elevator that doubled for freight and they would pad the sides (I figured they just wanted me to).  I suppose I'm kinda lucky nothing bad ever happened (beyond having sore arms).

That is a pretty remarkable video; probably better than at least 20% of Stephen King's novels.

posted April 16 2008 06:49 PM                

This kind of thing happens it New York a lot. Other things I've read in the news:

Illegal Chinese immigrant dies in elevator trying to deliver food. He was in there several days.

Woman trapped in elevator watches as water begins rising at her feet. She got out alive.

My take is generally avoid elevators in old buildings, especially late at night. I'll walk up 4 floors before I take a rusting elevator in a parking garage late on a Sunday night. The modern ones are pretty safe.

posted April 17 2008 09:10 AM                

Also mentioned in the article are the new-fangled "destination" elevator systems.  I experienced these for the first time this weekend.  Basically, you walk up to the bank of elevators - there are no up/down buttons.  Instead there is a computer panel, and you enter the floor you are going to.  In return, it tells you which elevator is yours.  When you get in that elevator there are no floor buttons.  It just takes you to your floor.  The idea is that since the computers know which floor everyone is going to, the elevators can be much more efficient.  I didn't like it. 

posted April 17 2008 10:16 AM                

The building we live in is old, along with the elevators, and I get nervous getting in an out of them all of the time, but trying to lug two kids, and whatever work stuff and bags up twenty-two flights of stairs with a bad back is painful.

The boys play with the elevators sometimes, jumping up and down. It drives me nuts and I'm constantly telling them to quit it. I don't know why they don't have the worry I do about the elevators, maybe because they've never been stuck in one. I hope they never have to experience being stuck in an elevator. It's no fun.