# Jumping when an elevator falls? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 18, 2002, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumping-when-an-elevator-falls/114632 "2002-06-18T02:09:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2002, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumping-when-an-elevator-falls/114632/21 "2002-06-18T19:25:06Z")
What if its only going to fall one floor?? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2002, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumping-when-an-elevator-falls/114632/22 "2002-06-18T19:28:46Z")
“Can I give a :whoosh: on that?” It’s not so obvious a woosh when I’ve heard people seriously express similar sentiments. BTW, there SHOULD be a :woosh: smiley. Perhaps a smiley face with wind over its head and a hat flying away? ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2002, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumping-when-an-elevator-falls/114632/23 "2002-06-18T23:21:14Z")
So we could probably sum it up that it would suck either way. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumping-when-an-elevator-falls/114632/24 "2002-06-19T00:29:52Z")
What if the elevator has a handrail along the inner wall? When the elevator plummets, climb up onto this railing and when it lands, absorb as much of the impact as possible by collapsing your knees and then falling the relatively small distance from the railing to the elvator floor, rolling as much as possible. The point being to spread out your mass’s impact with the shaft floor as long as possible. ---
**Author:** ![DemonSpawn52](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f17d59/32.png) [@DemonSpawn52](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonSpawn52)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumping-when-an-elevator-falls/114632/25 "2002-06-19T03:55:16Z")
Damn, don’t you people read the books or the archives? Cecil already answered this exact question. [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_205a.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_205a.html) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumping-when-an-elevator-falls/114632/26 "2002-06-19T08:15:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bryan Ekers \* > \*\*What if the elevator has a handrail along the inner wall? When the elevator plummets, climb up onto this railing and when it lands, absorb as much of the impact as possible by collapsing your knees and then falling the relatively small distance from the railing to the elvator floor, rolling as much as possible. > > The point being to spread out your mass’s impact with the shaft floor as long as possible. \*\* Hmmm, I think not; you’re on the handrail and the car stops abruptly (note that this isn’t any easier on your legs than it would be if you were standing on the floor, so your legs break (or are forced behind the handrail and torn off) then an instant later the rest of you smashes into the stationary floor at only slightly less speed than someone who didn’t bother to stand on the handrail. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Bad\_Astronomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@The\_Bad\_Astronomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Bad_Astronomer)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumping-when-an-elevator-falls/114632/27 "2002-06-19T20:20:49Z")
[I have a page about this too](http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/news/marilyn2.html). ---
**Author:** ![ForgottenLore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5e9695/32.png) [@ForgottenLore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ForgottenLore)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumping-when-an-elevator-falls/114632/28 "2002-06-19T22:12:41Z")
A little off the subject, but I discovered when I was a kid that when riding the express elevator from the top of the IDS tower back down to the ground floor you could make quite an impression on the other passengers if you jumped straight up in the air during the few seconds while the elevator was accelerating downwards. I would appear to leap an unnatural distance off the floor and then descend just a little… too… slowly. You have to time this right, though. Once I leaped a _bit_ too late. The elevator’s downward speed smoothed out just as I was about at the top of my jump. My landing was a little on the rough and abrupt side. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumping-when-an-elevator-falls/114632/29 "2002-06-19T23:48:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DemonSpawn52 \* > \*\*Damn, don’t you people read the books or the archives? Cecil already answered this exact question. > > [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_205a.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_205a.html) \*\* They also apparently don’t read **MEBuckner** ’s posts. ---
**Author:** ![Victory\_Candescence](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Victory\_Candescence](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Victory_Candescence)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2002, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumping-when-an-elevator-falls/114632/30 "2002-06-20T01:42:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by John Bredin \* > \*\* > BTW, there SHOULD be a :woosh: smiley. Perhaps a smiley face with wind over its head and a hat flying away? \*\* There were Whoosh smilies up for vote not too long ago. None of them won. But, we did get this wonderful smack smiley: :smack:. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2002, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumping-when-an-elevator-falls/114632/31 "2002-06-20T02:01:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by John Bredin \* > \*\*Can I give a :rolleyes: on that? The Transbay Tunnel was _designed_ to deal with earthquakes. It came through the 1989 quake undamaged when that Oakland freeway pancaked so infamously. > > “Can I give a :whoosh: on that?” > > It’s not so obvious a woosh when I’ve heard people seriously express similar sentiments.\*\* Actually, can there be a reverse-whoosh, since if there’s an earthquake right now, the Transbay Tunnel [WILL](http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/06/04/BA243847.DTL) collapse? To sum up the article, the tunnel needs **$1.1 BILLION** in retrofit work. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2002, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumping-when-an-elevator-falls/114632/32 "2002-06-20T02:11:58Z")
I’ve never heard of an elevator actually falling all the way. Has it happened recently? Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![pilot141](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e0b2c6/32.png) [@pilot141](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pilot141)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2002, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumping-when-an-elevator-falls/114632/33 "2002-06-20T06:00:10Z")
I believe that most elevators are equipped with some sort of braking system in the event of cable failure. It, of course, depends on the age and maintenance of the particular elevator, but I believe most are equipped with some sort of “Shit! The cable broke!” sensors, either actual cable continuity sensors or possibly accelerometers. In any case, there are brakes that can “fire”, extending out to the shaft walls and decelerating the 'vator to livable speeds. I remember in a beginning engineering class having to design a spring that would absorb the impact of a falling elevator without exceeding the “human flattening” threshold. The springs were very large, and sent their supposed “beneficiaries” on a very wild ride indeed once they started bouncing! ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2002, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumping-when-an-elevator-falls/114632/34 "2002-06-20T11:13:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ForgottenLore \* > **…I would appear to leap an unnatural distance off the floor and then descend just a little… too… slowly.** I did that same thing once, just to test, and it scared the hell out of me. I don’t think I landed for a full 2 seconds… :eek: ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2002, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumping-when-an-elevator-falls/114632/35 "2002-06-20T11:23:30Z")
You folks should realize that, Allan Sherman’s song “Good Advice” notwithstanding\*, the whole point of Otis’ invention of the elevator is _not_ just “a room that goes up and down”. Those have been around for a _long_ time. You can see several such “elevators”, for instance in Pieter Brueghel the Elder’s painting **The Tower of Babel** (large version). I wouldn’t be surprised if they actually _did_ date back to the building of Babylon. No, Otis, invention was such a vertically traveling car _with an automatic braking system_ in case of things like cable breaks. One of his very first was still in operation in Washington, D.C. until at least a few years ago (there was an article about it in the American Heritage Magazine of Science and Technology). So to all of you who wonder about whether elevators have such safety mechanisms – yep, they do. By definition. - There was a Mr. Otis who invented a room And his heart was filled with pride. I said to Mr. Otis, “What does your room do?” He said “It goes from Side to Side.” I said to Mr. Otis, “Well, take my advice, And you’ll be the richest man in town. Take your room that goes from Side to Side And Make it go Up and Down.” – Allan Sherman “Good Advice” ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2002, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumping-when-an-elevator-falls/114632/36 "2002-06-20T13:35:24Z")
Otis Improvement… I believe the weight of the car on the cable keeps the brake closed. Should a cable break…without the weight of the car pulling on the cable, the break expands. It’s sort of like the catch-22 of brakes. The cable load w/ the elevator keeps the brake from expanding…should the load disappear from the cable, the brakes expand…and slow the car. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2002, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumping-when-an-elevator-falls/114632/37 "2002-06-20T14:17:41Z")
(Boy, I can’t believe how messed up the grammar got in that previous post. Please excuse.) Just a few additional points: 1.) The first time I heard this idea was on the 1967 TV sitcon **He and She**. Richard Benjamin, Paula Prentiss, and Jack Cassidy are trapped in an elevator, and speculate about what they would do if it fell. “I know – just before it hits, we’ll all — Jump Up!” says Cassidy’s self-absorbed and self-important character, Oscar North. I’m sure the joke’s a lot older than 1967, though. 2.) In Otto Bettman’s book **The Good Old Days – They Were Terrible!** he reproduces an editorial cartoon from the 19th century showing Death sawing away at the cable of an elevator. Certainly the fear of falling goes back to the first widespread use of them as passenger conveyances in the 19th C. The cartoon suggests that there were non-Otis (pre-Otis?) non-brake-equipped passenger elevators. ---
**Author:** ![stockton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@stockton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stockton)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2002, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumping-when-an-elevator-falls/114632/38 "2002-06-20T14:35:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mangeorge \* > \*\*I’ve never heard of an elevator actually falling all the way. Has it happened recently? > Peace, > mangeorge \*\* Well, if you consider 1945 recent. A lady fell 79 stories in an Empire State Building elevator when a B-25 crashed into it and sliced the cables. She lived, but it wasn’t fun at all. [http://bldgservices.freeservers.com/empire.htm](http://bldgservices.freeservers.com/empire.htm) ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2002, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumping-when-an-elevator-falls/114632/39 "2002-06-20T23:22:51Z")
Thanks, **stockton**. I think this statement, from the linked article, answers my question; > [@](#): > > The car was now in a true free fall. In the history of the modern elevator, this was a singular event. Kind of negates the rest of this thread, doesn’t it? :smack: (My first chance to use the new smiley) Peace, mangeorge [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumping-when-an-elevator-falls/114632.md?page=1)