I was in a ~packed~ elevator at a hotel once and the doors closed but the car didn’t move. We were stopped there for about a million hours (probably more like a minute but you know what I mean) when the doors reopened. I would have been less panic-y had the car not been shoulder to shoulder with people. Had I been in there alone or with one other person I would have tolerated it better…I think.
Just last year, I had one of my greatest mental meltdowns ever in this situation. Stayed perfectly calm during, actually. I got onto the elevator at my workplace, hit the button for my floor, doors closed, then … nothing. I hit my floor again, then the open doors button, close button, floor again. No response from the elevator, which squatted silently on the ground floor. I pondered my options for a minute or so, then decided that nothing was going to happen on its own, and reached for the emergency call button. Just before I pressed it–the doors suddenly slid open! I released the breath I didn’t know I was holding, said a quick thank-you to Somebody … And pressed the button for my floor again. :dubious:
As the doors slid closed once again on my erstwhile prison, I thought to myself, “What the hell did I just do?” :eek:
For whatever reason, everything worked fine this time. But I will never know what I was thinking at that moment, when by any reasonable measure I ought to have been thinking, “Which way to the nearest stairs?”
I once got stuck in a very crowded elevator in a masoleum. I was with a funeral party seeing a somewhat distant cousin off. I don’t normally get in crowded elevators at the best of times, but I couldn’t find the stairs. After a seemingly endless time, the elevator went back down to the first floor. And everybody stayed on to try again! I forced my way to the front and out and they all seemed amused at my insistance that I get off. The elevator was over-loaded, that’s why it malfunctioned in the first place. At least go in two groups. It was a true nightmare. I don’t mind small places but I don’t like crowded ones. It’s a well-known fact that the tall people get all the oxygen.
I got trapped in an elevator by myself a few years back at school. The freakiest part was that it stopped between floors and suddenly the floor indicator started counting down rather quickly. I was pretty sure it wasn’t actually moving but let out a big sigh of relief when I didn’t go splat! after it reached one. I called and a maintenance guy opened the doors for me eventually. As I hopped up to my floor I remembered reading about a guy who got decapitated freeing a stuck elevator and made sur to step lively.
I was stuck in an elevator once for about 10 minutes. Fortunately, I was alone. They were telling me not to panic, too, but …dude… I just sat in the corner and chilled until they got me out. My mom would have had a full-blown panic attack, though, I bet.
I’ve never got stuck.
I did, however, find the only elevator in the country in which the “close door” button actually worked. Just last week. I try these buttons on every elevator that I use just becase I’ve learned that none of them are ever enabled, except this one. It was quite the treat.
presses “close door” button
Doors slam shut and elevator takes off. WWWHHHHOOOOOO!
I was once stuck in an elevator between floors for nearly three hours. Fortunately, there was only one other person in it, who was a friend of mine. So no crowding issues, and hell, we were at work anyway. My kingdom for a damned cigarette, though. I’m betting they’d have gotten me out of there faster if they’d smelled smoke.
The funniest thing was that everyone kept yelling down at us to *not panic!!! * People, I’m *not * panicking. I’ve been in here forever. I’M FUCKING BORED!!! That and that when we finally got out, there were like thirty people waiting in the lobby, applauding us like we were Baby freakin’ Jessica.
Many years ago, when my sister had a summer job at our dad’s company, they would drive by where our mom worked and pick her up.
One day Mom didn’t come out on time. They waited…and waited…and finally my sister was sent in to find out what was wrong.
As she walked in the lobby, she saw a crowd gathered. Someone told her one of the elevators was stuck. There was a speaker so the maintenance/rescue folks could communicate with the stuckees.
Just then, she heard a loud cackle coming over the speaker. “That’s my mother!” she cried. Sure enough, Mom was in the stuck elevator. Clearly, she was anything but traumatized.
To this day we harass her about her laugh. I also think my sister’s elevator phobia dates from that day, unfortunately.
A good friend of mine and I had tickets to the Peach Bowl football game a few years ago on New Years Eve. We were taking the parking lot elevator to catch a train to the game. We were feelin’ fine and horsing around. Both of us are over 6’2" and 230+ lbs. We were bouncing the elevator (jumping up and down to make the elevator shake) when it stopped half way between two floors. Our first chance at getting help was ruined when the good samaritan decided not to help us because my friend made a comment about being able to see up her dress from our unique vantage point (you couldn’t). that asshat maneuver kept us in the elevator for at least 30 minutes longer than we should have been there. We ended up missing the opening kickoff, but otherwise everything turned out OK. Good Ol’ MARTA.
The wife works with several hospitals down in the Medical Center. Horrible elevator accident there a couple of years ago when the doors malfunctioned, (caution: graphic)… closed on a doctor pinning him, then moved floors and decapitated him in front of a nurse.Nowdays, I damn near leap through the elevator door every time.
I was once temping for the most horrible ass in the world. The job he gave me was to take his car to some random town, pick up a couple of boxes, and bring them back. On the way out of the building, I got stuck on the elevator. FOr 45 minutes.
I agree with DianaG, the boredom and the nicotine fit far outweigh the panic. When I heard someone walking by outside, and banged on the door and yelled. Someone finally came to my rescue. They called 911, and the fire department came and hacked their way through the door with axes.
When I was freed, I walked back upstairs to tell ass boss that I was on my way. When he saw me, he said “Back already? Where are the boxes? You were supposed to bring the boxes!” Apparently he was unaware of my plight.
When I told him the tale of my rescue, he yelled at me because I should have called building maintenence and not 911. Now I’ve broken the elevator for everyone. Sorry, ass, next time I’ll just not break the elevator in the first place.
tdn, when we were stuck, the elevator maintenance company guy got stuck in traffic, after two and a half HOURS I persuaded the receptionist to call the fire department, who were right across the street. We had to climb out the hatch in the top, but we were out while the EMCG was still four blocks down Congress Street.
Oh, and by the way, our bosses never noticed we were gone. The entire building was abuzz about our little adventure, but the guys who had sent us on this errand to begin with never even missed us. We took some long-ass lunches after that.
Anaamika, stuck in an elevator with my boss would place in my top five worst nightmares. And I LIKE my boss, but still… oh god, the awkward.
