fbpx
:::: MENU ::::

In other news…

by

Totally unrelated to money, but….

The building I work in is super old. One of the oldest on campus (and our campus was built in the 1800s so…). Anyway, the elevator is ancient and moves at the pace of a snail. It’s not actually broken. It’s always that way.

But I think people often panic by how slow-moving it is and think the elevator is broken and/or they’re stuck in it. There’s an alarm you can push if the elevator breaks and from my office I hear people push it probably about once every 15-20 minutes. And it’s still the summer. Can’t imagine what it will be like when the Fall semester begins and people are in-and-out all the time! Constant alarm buzzing???

Also…the elevator kinda scares me, too. I know its just slow and will eventually get there/open, but its an unsettling feeling to be inside and worry that you might get stuck (I’ve been stuck in an elevator before for 45 minutes! It sucked!). So I always opt to take the stairs. Being on the fourth floor, I feel like I’m getting some pretty good exercise. So I guess that’s a positive. ; )

Have you ever been stuck in an elevator? I’m not even claustrophobic, but I remember feeling totally panicked! I was a grad student at the time and had a ton of journal articles with me so I sat on the floor and started reading to try to occupy my mind so I wouldn’t freak out. The fire department eventually came and rescued me but it took forever and I was late to class!


9 Comments

  • Reply Rachel |

    When I was a freshman in college, I stayed at the dorm over Thanksgiving break. In the huge dorm, there were probably only about 10 people who stayed…it was QUIET. Even the front desk was closed. My parents came to visit me, with my 3 younger brothers, the youngest being only 1 1/2. He pushed the emergency button in the elevator and we all freaked out – worried that the emergency responders would come. The building was so deserted we had nobody to talk to/explain the situation/get the message out that there was no emergency! Luckily nobody came lol And luckily there was no emergency, because my mom IS claustrophobic. I’m not, but being trapped in an elevator would make me panic!

  • Reply Janelle B |

    Yep, been stuck in the elevator, on a SUNDAY when I was the only one in the office building where I worked. I used the phone in the elevator to contact someone, then just sat and waiting for 3+ hours until the elevator repairman and the building maintenance supervisor came and got it running and released me from captivity. In the meantime, the elevator service responders called on the phone every 20 to 30 minutes to ensure I was okay in there. I was fine – I talked to my husband or my friends on my cell phone for almost the whole time.

    • Reply Ashley |

      WOW! THREE HOURS!?!?! Oh my gosh, that’s insane! What if you had to go to the bathroom! Yikes!!! Glad you were able to stay calm and someone FINALLY came to get you! That’s seriously nuts!

  • Reply Alexandria |

    I was thinking, “Why would you take the elevator?” 😀 Just don’t break a leg or twist an ankle, right??

    I remember my college campus had elevators, though I don’t think I absolutely ever used them. But I remember one of my cranky professors got stuck in one once. Probably not for very long, but we certainly all heard about it.

  • Reply Chantal |

    Back in the 1970s while working at UT El Paso the ilbrary elevator began to be very chancy. Repair men came…and came… The advice given was :”If it seems to be going down to rapidly start jumping up and down” Ha ! everyone began to use the stairs during the lengthy replacement period.

  • Reply Elaine |

    If I were you I would type up a sign and post it in the elevator saying that it is slow but not broken so people wouldn’t keep pushing the alarm. That sound would drive me nuts!

So, what do you think ?