# Regarding the Falling Elevator. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [June 4, 2003, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-the-falling-elevator/179574 "2003-06-04T12:53:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-the-falling-elevator/179574/21 "2003-06-06T14:42:16Z")
You’d probably be fine, unless the building had a ten story subtarranean garage. ---
**Author:** ![Equal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Equal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equal)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-the-falling-elevator/179574/22 "2003-06-06T14:46:20Z")
🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-the-falling-elevator/179574/23 "2003-06-14T04:41:01Z")
**dolphinboy** , most elevators have signals that show your current location, i.e. which floor you are on. Depending on how that system works, it could give you a good idea of when you are approaching the ground floor. **SmartAlec** , low-rise buildings use hydraulics, but hi-rise buildings still use cables. It would be very impractical (if possible) to build a hydraulic system for a 100 story elevator. Besides, a lot of buildings have older elevator systems. Just because new systems come out that doesn’t mean old elevator systems are replaced in existing buildings. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-the-falling-elevator/179574.md?page=1)