Has anyone ever been stuck in an elevator?
I never considered myself claustrophobic, that is until the other day, when the elevator doors wouldn't open (mechanical failure, not power outage). I couldn't believe how quickly the "panic" set in, even if the lights stayed on, and this happened in a busy office building during work hours when I knew that lots of people were around. (I was alone in the elevator.)
After realizing that the elevator wasn't moving, and the doors wouldn't open,
I pressed the "call" button. There was a taped message, but a live operator did not come on. Next I tried the alarm buzzer several times. No response. Turned to my cell phone. No reception. Put my finger on the alarm buzzer and kept it there. Still no response.
In desperation and "knowing" that it was a futile effort, I tried to pry the doors open. And lo and behold, I got it apart a few inches, then the doors slid open the rest of the way. Luckily I was still on the ground floor. Phew!
I work in this building, and the stairs are not an option (locked), so I was wondering if anyone out there has some advice and/or knowledge about elevators and what other options/actions could be taken.
Someone said that if you push the stop button, that disengages the doors so that you can open them. It also keeps the elevator from restarting and possibly crushing you between floors. Does anyone know if this is true? I've been in a couple of newer elevators since, and notice that a key is needed to activate the stop function, so the stop button wouldn't be an option there...
Any other suggestions or ideas on how to deal with a recalcitrant elevator are appreciated. How about suggestions for dealing with the "panic"? The small elevator instantly became oppressive, airless and unbearable.
There was a story on the news recently about a guy who got stuck in an elevator for a whole week. At the time, it was just an interesting story, but now I wonder how he survived.
Sorry that this is so long, but thanks for any ideas/suggestions.
I never considered myself claustrophobic, that is until the other day, when the elevator doors wouldn't open (mechanical failure, not power outage). I couldn't believe how quickly the "panic" set in, even if the lights stayed on, and this happened in a busy office building during work hours when I knew that lots of people were around. (I was alone in the elevator.)
After realizing that the elevator wasn't moving, and the doors wouldn't open,
I pressed the "call" button. There was a taped message, but a live operator did not come on. Next I tried the alarm buzzer several times. No response. Turned to my cell phone. No reception. Put my finger on the alarm buzzer and kept it there. Still no response.
In desperation and "knowing" that it was a futile effort, I tried to pry the doors open. And lo and behold, I got it apart a few inches, then the doors slid open the rest of the way. Luckily I was still on the ground floor. Phew!
I work in this building, and the stairs are not an option (locked), so I was wondering if anyone out there has some advice and/or knowledge about elevators and what other options/actions could be taken.
Someone said that if you push the stop button, that disengages the doors so that you can open them. It also keeps the elevator from restarting and possibly crushing you between floors. Does anyone know if this is true? I've been in a couple of newer elevators since, and notice that a key is needed to activate the stop function, so the stop button wouldn't be an option there...
Any other suggestions or ideas on how to deal with a recalcitrant elevator are appreciated. How about suggestions for dealing with the "panic"? The small elevator instantly became oppressive, airless and unbearable.
There was a story on the news recently about a guy who got stuck in an elevator for a whole week. At the time, it was just an interesting story, but now I wonder how he survived.
Sorry that this is so long, but thanks for any ideas/suggestions.