You are going to have to put up with me a little longer…
Well, I have had a near death experience today. I was in the new tower at VGH. Got into the elevator to go down to the ground floor and all of a sudden the elevator free-falls. I now know why some elevators have railings. When the free-fall stops you really should be hanging onto the railing. Suffice to say that I wasn’t thinking too clearly about grabbing onto the railing. My heart restarted when the elevator hit floor 4 and screeched to a halt somewhere in between floors. Let’s just say that the alarm button was my best and only friend in the world at this point. I started talking over the intercom system the elevators have when of course, the elevator shakes and free-falls again. This time I was holding onto the railing pretty tight only to have the emergency brakes stop me near the first floor. So, unfortunately, my wife has to put up with me for a little longer in life. It’s pretty amazing how fast you can get to the ground from the top of a tower. The stairs are looking mighty good today.
19 comments Tuesday 04 May 2004 | SlantyBard | SlantyNet - General
Frig, I need a beer. Or rum.
Holy christ, that’s probably my greatest fear in life: being in a falling elevator. I have nightmares about it all the time. Apparently psychoanalytically it means that you are going to have an affair, but I think it just means I’m shit-scared of falling elevators.
And now I know it’s justified.
The problem is you feel completely helpless and there is nothing you can do.
Oh good god … you’re not helping .. I’m almost shaking in my chair ..
I don’t really see the problem… You hit Ground Floor, and you got there.
Maybe it was an Easter Egg… you hit Ground, 2, 2, 3, Ground, Ground, 3, 3, 4, and it does the Elevator express thing.
Glad you survived it though.
Jebus. I’m glad we still have you around. Other than your heart, how’s your body? Can you put in for some stress leave (coz it sure sounds like you deserve it!!!)
how many stories is the new tower?
16 floors labbelled. 15 actually cause there is no 13, but then again, there are mechanical floors in between the first 6 floors, so, in the end there are 21 floors. I was only coming from the 12th floor though (I guess 18th if you count the mechanical floors).
I’m glad I don’t have to do your laundry!
I was too scared to soil my pants.
Did they find out what the fault was?? Or are you staying away from that lift?
I was thinking that you wouldn’t have time to be scared. More of a “What the… Oh Sh… ”
Then I re-read the part about the elevator stopping for a bit. That part was cruel. Letting the whole thing sink in before it did it to you again.
if it’s a new elevator, it can’t be metal fatigue. someone fucked up.
what’s doubly scary is that the emergency system nearly completely failed too.
I didn’t hang around. I needed to get away from that thing. I told people waiting not to get on. Because I was still yelling at the metal voice box on the elevator, I think they believed me…the metal box thing said that someone would come right away. I am pretty sure they turned the elevator off from a central control, but to test that idea I would have had to get back on it.
Oh god .. please .. stop talking about it .. I’m breaking out into a sweat over here ..
So did you yell anything as it was falling? I’ve often wondered what phrase would come out if I was in a situation like that.. I’d put good odds on “fuck me”…
Fuck me.
I’m with OD. Stop talking about it. I stopped using elevators for about 2 years after an ‘incident’ in a downtown eastside elevator…
Glad you’re still with us, Bard.
16: There is no spoon.
I don’t think the people waiting at the bottom appreciated my colourfull language via the metal box conversation. It was pretty loud. Not sure if they heard it over the screeching/groaning of the elevator coming to a stop though. Lots of weird smiles on peoples’ faces.