I was stuck in an elevator!

[Callie]

Today I got on an elevator with two other people. Just the normal ride up to the ground floor on campus. Well, we never moved. After about 3 minutes, we realized something was up, and tried buttons to get us to move. Nothing.

After 5 minutes had passed, we started trying the emergency button alarm, and the phone, neither worked (Well the alarm made a buzz, but it was super soft).

I figured at that point you call 911? (we didn't have any service on our cell phones, I was shocked 911 worked)

Anyways, after about 20 minutes the doors magically opened just as all the fireman were getting there. I felt like an idiot for bringing them out, but I assume that is the right thing to do? We had no other way out!

 

[dislaney]

Today I got on an elevator with two other people. Just the normal ride up to the ground floor on campus. Well, we never moved. After about 3 minutes, we realized something was up, and tried buttons to get us to move. Nothing.

After 5 minutes had passed, we started trying the emergency button alarm, and the phone, neither worked (Well the alarm made a buzz, but it was super soft).

I figured at that point you call 911? (we didn't have any service on our cell phones, I was shocked 911 worked)

Anyways, after about 20 minutes the doors magically opened just as all the fireman were getting there. I felt like an idiot for bringing them out, but I assume that is the right thing to do? We had no other way out!

I would have done the same thing- after I stopped freaking out. I can't imagine being stuck in an elevator! Glad you got out ok.

 

[Cat0727]

I would have done the exact same thing. I've only been stuck in an elevator once and that was during a college tour. There were about 15 of us squashed in there when we got stuck. It was horrible. Thank god it didn't happen a few years down the road, because my claustrophobia is about 100x worse now.

 

[dauser]

I saw the movie "Devil" recently. Definitely not the greatest movie in the world, but its about a group of people getting stuck in an elevator and one of them is the devil. People start dying one by one. I hope I never get stuck in an elevator, because if I do, this movie will be running through my mind!

 

[Callie]

I think what allowed me not to freak out, is because we were on the very bottom floor, and non of us felt like we'd moved at all. Otherwise I would've been scared because I hate high places and closed spaces. We just had to keep laughing at how bad it was.

When I called 911 the echo was so bad, and I was afraid I'd lose the signal at any time. I kept saying the building we were in as well as the school and the elevator. They kept having me repeat and confirm, my only freak time. Afterward I was shaking! Had it been full like normal, I think I would've panic'd earlier

 

[DisneyFan32WI]

I would've been terrified! Lucky you had a phone, even though the door opened on its own.

 

[Tink9721]

At least you were with other people. I would be even more scared if I got stuck in an elevator alone I wouldn't want a lot of other people in there, but one or two.

 

[5 for WDW]

One of my biggest phobias! I would have hit 911 after about 1.5 minutes!!

 

[Ephany]

It happened once to me as a child. We were at an office, dentist maybe, and my mom sent me down to the car to get something. I remember the doors opening and only seeing a big blank wall. I was pretty scared, and even now I don't care for them.

 

[Callie]

Yeah, thankful for cell phones! The phone in the elevator was so old, it was one of those circle dial ones. I kept telling them the emergency phone does not work! (we first tried to use it to contact the campus police, 911 being the last option)

I then had flashbacks of all the 9/11 stories I heard on the news

 

[beckysmith]

Hahaha that is so awful! That's why I never take the elevators at school! Then again, I'm only ever going up two or three flights.

One of my friends got stuck on an elevator for about 15 minutes with a guy who had down syndrome- and that's not meant to be offensive, but obviously if you're not used to people with that it could be a bit awkward or uncomfortable, especially in a little elevator.

 

[Callie]

Hahaha that is so awful! That's why I never take the elevators at school! Then again, I'm only ever going up two or three flights.

It was only two flights, but I have tendinitis in my ankle, and it still hasn't gone away, as well as bad knees, so lately I've been in a ton of pain ( I'm not even 20 yet )
We all took the stairs after we got off, but I was late to class

 

[Imzadi]

I think you did the right thing. I would have only thought to call 911 after I freaked out for a while.

I would have done the exact same thing. I've only been stuck in an elevator once and that was during a college tour. There were about 15 of us squashed in there when we got stuck. It was horrible. Thank god it didn't happen a few years down the road, because my claustrophobia is about 100x worse now.

Once is enough! Sometimes I see a family with loud, small kids get on an elevator, and I simply pass and decide to take the next car. I'm bad enough around kids, no way would I want to be stuck in an elevator with screaming kids.

 

[maps]

I worked on the 7th floor of a hospital and one day I was too tired to take the stairs (I have issues with claustrophobia so normally I walk up and down).

Anyway, the elevator suddenly stopped and there was a resident doctor in the elevator with me. His response "oh well, I guess we're stuck", then proceeded to close his eyes and take a nap!

Imagine his surprise when I pried the doors open with my bare hands and climbed up the platform onto the next floor!

 

[Callie]

We couldn't open the doors! We tried, because we were pretty sure we were on the ground floor still.

 

[shinysparklybubbles]

When I was in labor we got in the elevator to go up to L&D and there was a hospital employee with us and the doors opened, shut, opened and then stayed shut (I was about to get off at that point) so I turned to the employee and said hope you are a dr if we get stuck and his response was I just clean up after the baby is born, don't deliver them and then laughed. Yeah that was the longest ride in my life I think we were all scared we would not make it to floor 3 in time lol.

 

[dis-happy]

I have lived this nightmare, stuffed into a college elevator where it went down instead of up and opened up to a cement wall (guess we were too heavy and sank to the very bottom). Still gives me shudders.

Did you check to see when the elevator had last been inspected (while you waited for 20 minutes )? Not having a working emergency phone is a big no-no. They are supposed to have a certified safety inspection at least once a year (I know someone with a private elevator in a house and even that is required by law to be inspected annually). Calling out the fire dept. may have caused an investigation, in which case that's a good thing!

Hope your prof. gave you a pass when you said why you were late. Good luck getting over the trauma!

 

[Callie]

I have lived this nightmare, stuffed into a college elevator where it went down instead of up and opened up to a cement wall (guess we were too heavy and sank to the very bottom). Still gives me shudders.

Did you check to see when the elevator had last been inspected (while you waited for 20 minutes )? Not having a working emergency phone is a big no-no. They are supposed to have a certified safety inspection at least once a year (I know someone with a private elevator in a house and even that is required by law to be inspected annually). Calling out the fire dept. may have caused an investigation, in which case that's a good thing!

Hope your prof. gave you a pass when you said why you were late. Good luck getting over the trauma!

Hm, good question. I'll look if I get in again.
I bet they will investigate it. I felt bad when I saw how much stuff they were bringing (the doors finally opened)

 

[Callie]

I just was reading our crime log, and I saw that and within the last 30 days, there are two reports of people stuck in elevators. Those people look like campus workers got them out.

 

[Princess_Meghan <3]

I got stuck in an elevator a few years ago while staying at a hotel- the elevator actually dropped three floors and stopped a little bit below the lobby level. Luckily the phone in the elevator was working, and we were able to call the front desk. We were stuck in there for 20 minutes before they pried the doors open. I take the stairs all the time now, but sometimes if I'm being lazy I'll take the school elevator (I live on the 5th floor, 3 floors up from the lobby level)- it terrifies me because the elevators are awful, and we do have people get stuck in them often enough that it could easily happen to my friends and I.

If the phone wasn't working, I definitely would have called 911. I would have been terrified if I couldn't get in touch with anyone.