2010-08-09 » Beware of the middle elevator!

On my way home today I had quite an adventure. This was mostly written as-it-happens and only a bit of cleanup was done after the fact. It was written mostly on my phone after all.

I worked late today as I have been recently since we’ve got lots of awesome that customers really want and I have to help get it to them before the anticipation kills them. Anyway, I was leaving the office with what I thought was plenty of time to get on the train and make it on the last bus that would take me home (last bus is just after 9pm, ridiculous but not the focus of this post). Unfortunately for me, the elevators had their own plans.

I got to the elevator (my office is on the 6th floor) and pressed the button but no elevator came. After about 5 minutes of waiting, with no elevator coming, I decided I should just take the stairs and went over toward them. Just as I opened the door to the stairs and realized that the stairs lock from the inside and I wasn’t sure whether I could get off on the main floor, the elevator came.

So, as fate would have it, I got in and pushed the handy “M” button and waited. Then suddenly there was a strange sound and a sudden jolt. It felt like the elevator had fallen a ways before stopping. The jolt of the stop felt just like it does when you’re walking down the stairs in the dark and miss a stair. A small jolt went up my spine but so far I think I’m ok.

Anyway, I tried pressing the door open button but nothing happened. I opened the panel that I thought had some emergency phone in it, but all it has in it was graffiti. I pressed the emergency button, but that only seemed to ring the bell.

After a few minutes someone came and started talking to me through the door. I couldn’t hear much of what he said because there’s a really loud air conditioner in here going full blast. He came a short while later and I pressed my ear against the door but I still couldn’t make out everything he was saying. I did hear him say that the repairman was supposed to be here in 10 or 15 minutes. I think.

In any case, that’s where I am right now. Typing this in on my phone to pass the time while I wait… I guess I’ll write more when something happens. I tried calling Kevin to brag, but he’s such a failer he didn’t even answer.

It’s been about 10-15 minutes now. I hear some kind of sound going on that could be someone trying to fix this. Or it could be the elevator breaking more. Or zombies. Who knows?

I’m kind of hoping someone calls me while I’m in here. Just so I can say “I’m just hanging out. You know… In an elevator.” But people usually don’t call on the rare occasions that I have something interesting to say.

Waiting…

Still waiting…

One of the noises stopped. Not sure if that’s good.

Oh! Now a voice is telling me the repair guy is here. So it should just be “another minute or two”. Well, he won’t make it in one, since it took me longer than that to type this paragraph. I’m not so fast at typing on my phone.

Woohoo! Freedom!

Some really big elevator repair guy finally came and opened the door. The elevator car was a foot and a bit below the main floor. So I had to step up to main. Like you’d imagine if the elevator was stuck partway between floors.

Two security guys were there to greet and apologize to me. They were apparently watching me the whole time (kinda creepy?) and said “whoa you were in there a long time, we were surprised you didn’t sit down.”. Well dear reader, I could have sat down but I hope you appreciate that I was too focused on bringing you this “amazing” story to think of such a thing.

Altogether, I think I was in the elevator for just over 45 minutes. The whole incident including waiting extra for the elevator initially and telling my story to the security guys and the elevator guy, probably delayed me about an hour.

Now I’m on the train and it’s behaving funny. Maybe I should get out and walk?

I’m pretty sure that I managed to miss the last bus. Oh well. Exercise is supposed to be good.

UPDATE 1: Kevin finally called me back. But too late. I was already on the train. Telling someone on the phone that you were stuck in an elevator is not as cool as being able to tell them that I am stuck in an elevator.

UPDATE 2: Yep definitely missed my bus. I’m on another bus that’ll take me half way. Then I get to walk!

UPDATE 3: It took me 54 minutes to walk home from where I got off the bus. I’m home now though, and trying to decide whether I should take the stairs until I find out why the elevator failed (I’ve got someone’s card and they’re supposed to tell me).