In my humble opinion, I can’t, for the life of me, understand why, buildings in the USA never list a 13th floor.
There’s a 13th floor in every building reaching at least 14 floors, but instead we delude ourselves.
Are there that many people who are afraid of the number 13?
It annoys me that we can put a man in space and communicate on the internet, but we pretend there’s no 13th floor.
Any examples?
Go into any high rise and try to find the 13th floor.
Nonexistant.
Nonsense.
It’s superstition, and I’ve sometimes heard it attributed to the story that there were 13 people present at the Last Supper (Jesus and his 12 best buds). I’ve worked in a few tall office buildings and none had 13th floors. If you ignore what the button says I actually work on the 13th floor. Google “triskadecaphobia” if you like. It’s just tradition. Stick to tradition and you get ignored, buck it and you can find yourself at the center of a controversy.
In Japan I’m told you can find some buildings that skip from floor 39 straight to 50. The number 4 is considered bad luck in some Asian cultures because one of the words for four, “shi,” sounds similar to the word for death.
That happens here for 4th floor and room number 4, for similar reasons.
The number 4 has been associated with death in Japanese folklore for a long time, and some people are suspicious enough to avoid it entirely. For example, my old dormitory had 6 rooms, but they were labeled 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7.
It’s not that difficult to do and it puts the nut jobs at ease at no real inconvenience to anybody else.
Oh, Marley23, you beat me again! By mere seconds, no less!
Now I’m intrigued, what does the button say?
Nonexistant as in not labeled, or nonexistant as if you count the stories from outside you’ll find a blank spot?
I’ve always liked the idea there is a 13th floor, but you need special access to get to it, and there’s lots of secret things going on there.
probably “14”
I remember most high rises in San Francisco had a 13th floor, but I could be mistaken, it’s been awhile. Pretty much anywhere in Latin America will not have a 13th anything, though, not even soccer jerseys
what’s funny is shortly after a japanese person explaining to me that 4 (and 8, I think, maybe 7 htough cause 7 is often said as “shichi” or “nana”) are unlucky in Japan I told him my apt number was 204 and he got a grave look on his face. 4 (which can be said as “shi” or “yon” depending on what follows) sounds like death (“shin”)
Ok, I’m finding all of this laughable, even if it’s true. If it’s true, engineers and firefighters should introduce legislation to put a stop to this nonsensical practice on the basis safety, while having a good understanding that floor 13, is floor 13 and nothing else.
Standards anyone? Please?
I’m seriously wondering how this practice is excepted in the name of standardization, building codes, etc…
From the Wikipedia article on Thirteenth Floor:
If anybody would know, you’d figure it would be the elevator people.
Personally I like it. It’s a harmless, colorful little bit of architectural tradition, like entombing human corpses inside a bridge foundation.
You’ve honestly never known about this til now? How is that possible?
I suppose never having the need to get to the 13th floor in a building, nor did I ever notice that 13 was missing from the floor selection panel when in a taller building. Never heard it discussed either.
It’s rampant in Canada too folks. No 13th floor in ANY buildings I’ve ever been in.
Huh? 
“Beware! This is the floor of DEATH! Enter not, for ye shall never return!”
In kind of a ghastly, screechy voice.
Yes! The hidden floor the elevators don’t stop at seems a common theme. I vaguely recall a Babylon 5 ep that involved a hidden level that didn’t show up on the blueprints. Don’t know if it was 13 or not though.
