Have you ever been stuck in an elevator?

[Sweetpancake]

I've been stuck twice in my lifetime and almost stuck a third time. I feel like I'm in the minority as I have family members who have never experienced this. And of all people, I'm very claustrophobic and my fear is being locked in somewhere where I can't get out. I used to have "elevator" nightmares about once a week but since the pandemic and I've been home so much, they've subsided.

The first time was when I was visiting my aunt with my family at work. She had been workingin this particular building for at least 30 years and riding the elevators every day. I was only 12 and I remember my aunt hyperventilating and banging on the doors. Luckily someone called the elevator up from ground level and we started moving again. Ironically, my aunt had a fear of getting trapped in an elevator as she had been stuck with her mom when she was a child at a department store and she remembers all these old ladies were hitting the doors with their canes and yelling. Sounds traumatizing,lol

The second time was at the Children's Hospital when I had to take my then 6 month old for a procedure. It was just the two of us on a very old elevator and once we reached the basement floor to the parkade, the doors wouldn't open, my absolute nightmare! I tried to keep it together and picked up the emergency phone, thank God someone picked up right away. And after a few minutes, the doors magically opened on their own. Luckily both times I wasn't stuck for very long.

 

[_19disnA]

Twice that I can recall over the years. Wasn't that big of a deal and every elevator I have been in has an emergency phone and most people now carry a cell phone with them. Once was in LasVegas hotel and someone immediately answered the emergency phone when I picked it up to tell them there was an issue. Probably were stuck for less then 5 minutes. Later that day, we noticed that elevator was locked out for repair so obviously something was wrong with it that needed service. Most things I have read indicate it is safer to get stuck in the elevator then trying to 'escape' like you see in some disaster movie.

I think you have more success using the emergency phone if there is an issue vs. banging on the door. Not sure what that would accomplish. If stuck, you want to make contact with someone at that facility who can provide assistance. If you have a fear of enclosed spaces, maybe using the stairs in a smaller buildings is a better option.

 

[Mysterian]

Yep, I was stuck but not for too long. I was on the 4th floor, and had just begun my descent when ZOOP! The power had gone out of the building. Fortunately the elevator was not stuck between floors, and someone on the other side just pried the doors open with their bare hands, like a T-1000 liquid terminator. A group of us exited via the stairs using our phone lights, like true champions of survival, and bickety-bam, the Fire Dept was right there at the front entrance.

 

[JaxDad]

 

[BrianL]

I never got stuck, but I was at this really old hotel once and the primary elevators weren't working, so they had us use the service elevator, which seemed a little hinky. Well, this elevator went up but I think there was a lightning strike and it suddenly dropped like 20 stories! Then it shot back up and part of the wall was missing so we could see out. It was pretty scary, though not as scary as the giant eyeball!

 

[Mysterian]

I never got stuck, but I was at this really old hotel once and the primary elevators weren't working, so they had us use the service elevator, which seemed a little hinky. Well, this elevator went up but I think there was a lightning strike and it suddenly dropped like 20 stories! Then it shot back up and part of the wall was missing so we could see out. It was pretty scary, though not as scary as the giant eyeball!

Oh noes! Next you'll tell me there were ghosts, and that you had to wait in line for the whole thing!

 

[BlueStarryHat]

My high school was on the last four floors of a tall building in Center City Philadelphia. One day we all piled into one of the elevators to go home for the day and there was a little plunge, then we got stuck between the 15th and 14th floors. The maintenance men came and pried the doors open and we were able to clamber out because the floor was only about knee high.

 

[MICKIMINI]

Hilton at Cocoa Beach back in the early 2000's. I don't think we were stuck much more than a half hour, but no knowing was a bit disturbing...

 

[MIGrandma]

No, but I have feared it happening.

I refused to use the elevator when I stayed in a condo on Mackinac Island when I was alone. DH spent the first week and last week with me so we did use it then when we had a sled full of groceries but it was so dark in there as the lightbulbs had to warm up before they got brighter. You could hardly see anything. It felt creepy. So when I was alone I just used the stairs, even though it was 3 flights up.

 

[Disneylover99]

No. But it is a huge fear.
I avoid elevators when I can.
I request ground floor rooms at hotels.

 

[BrianL]

No. But it is a huge fear.
I avoid elevators when I can.
I request ground floor rooms at hotels.

I also usually request a low floor, at least in a hotel that is very high. I just can't sleep when on a very high floor! I am okay when it's just like the 4th or 5th floor.

 

[Disneylover99]

I also usually request a low floor, at least in a hotel that is very high. I jsut can't sleep when on a very high floor! I am okay when it's just like the 4th or 5th floor.

If I can’t get a ground floor room, I request the lowest possible floor near a stairwell.

 

[fla4fun]

Not really stuck, but we were staying at the Contemporary once and were riding the elevator down from the top floor (it wasn’t the CG yet). The elevator slowed and stopped, as though it was stopping at a floor, but when the doors opened, the hall floor was at eye level. The doors stayed open for a minute or so, then closed. We didn’t move right away, but then it moved and when it stopped on another floor, everything was fine. We got out and walked down the stairs to the fourth floor.

 

[RedAngie]

Just once for less than a minute when I was a kid. It was in a furniture store that was a warehouse and the salesman had to manually operate the controls. No door, but rather that accordion style gate.

I guess the salesman did something wrong and it stopped between floors. He jiggled the controls a bit then it started again.

 

[MickeyMinnieMary]

I’ve never been stuck, but I fear it will happen everyday. I live on the third floor of an apartment complex, so I take the elevator several times a day. Sometimes it starts to make odd noises and it makes my heart drop every time! So scary!

 

[disneyseniors]

Just once for less than a minute when I was a kid. It was in a furniture store that was a warehouse and the salesman had to manually operate the controls. No door, but rather that accordion style gate.

I guess the salesman did something wrong and it stopped between floors. He jiggled the controls a bit then it started again.

I rode in one of those old elevators once when I was a kid. My aunts owned an old fashioned book store in downtown Columbus in a big old building. She took us up to the 3rd floor to the lunch room to eat, and we got into that old lift with the accordian style gate. My aunt had to operate the controls. It was a bit spooky, and it was Big. You could have put a sofa and chair in it. I guess those are things of the past now.

I haven't been stuck in an elavator before, but my daughter and soninlaw were stuck in one recently while on a trip to Sanibel Island. It was their hotel's elevator. But they used their cell phone to call for help. My daughter said it was scary to be stuck though, but they weren't in it for a long time, about 10 minutes or so.

 

[serenitynow]

There was a line in the restroom of the building I was leaving in college. I decided to go ahead and hop on the elevator, leave the building and stop at another bathroom before my next class.
The elevator got stuck between floors, with 4 of us inside. It only took 20 minutes for them to restart the elevator, but those were a long, uncomfortable 20 minutes. Lesson learned, never board an elevator with a full bladder!

 

[china mom]

Myself and two co-workers got stuck between floors in an haunted building and a ghost checked on us - but hat is more of a ghost story than a stuck in elevator story. We were rescued after about 40 minutes when someone came back to the building and heard us laughing and cutting up.

 

[Sweetpancake]

Twice that I can recall over the years. Wasn't that big of a deal and every elevator I have been in has an emergency phone and most people now carry a cell phone with them. Once was in LasVegas hotel and someone immediately answered the emergency phone when I picked it up to tell them there was an issue. Probably were stuck for less then 5 minutes. Later that day, we noticed that elevator was locked out for repair so obviously something was wrong with it that needed service. Most things I have read indicate it is safer to get stuck in the elevator then trying to 'escape' like you see in some disaster movie.

I think you have more success using the emergency phone if there is an issue vs. banging on the door. Not sure what that would accomplish. If stuck, you want to make contact with someone at that facility who can provide assistance. If you have a fear of enclosed spaces, maybe using the stairs in a smaller buildings is a better option.

My fear is that my phone won't work and I also kind of fear the elevators that don't have a phone but an emergency button, because you have no way of knowing when someone has been made aware of your emergency and how long they'll be. I agree, you're never supposed to escape like they do in the movies, that's definitely not safe. And yes, I definitly use the stairs whenever possible,lol

 

[Sweetpancake]

...someone on the other side just pried the doors open with their bare hands, like a T-1000 liquid terminator.....

This made me LOL! That's hilarious. You definitely had the right good samaritan waiting to help you.