Have you ever been stuck in an elevator?

[BlueStarryHat]

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.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art still has them. They're from the 20s and have elevator operators, and I always take the stairs. No thank you.

 

[Sweetpancake]

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

Glad to hear I'm not alone! Ugh, it's awful.

 

[rlk]

I have gotten stuck several times. Living in a 32-floor apartment building raises the odds for me.

 

[Sweetpancake]

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!

At one point we were living in a condo building on the 4th floor and I was also working on the 9th floor of a large building, so I would take an elevator many times a day, luckily I never got stuck in either building. That said, both elevators broke down many time. Once was during a power failure and people got stuck inside IN THE DARK! And were there for a while as the back-up generator had not been inspected in years and wasn't functioning. Those poor people. I actually had JUST lef the building like 10 minutes prior.

 

[Jonfw2]

Two friends of mine, Bret and Jemaine, were stuck on a lift.

 

[bcla]

Never in any kind of traditional elevator of the kind used to move people from one place to another.

However, I have been stuck on a ride with an elevator system. I was stopped on Tower of Terror at DCA once. Really weird too. I could see all the little touches. Even for just a part of the shaft that would have normally passed quickly by we could see how detailed they had been in making it look old. And the recorded emergency message was done in an eerie horror movie voice. Not Thurl Ravenscroft deep, but more like a higher pitched male voice that one might expect in a movie voiceover.

Wasn't me, but there was a report of people stuck on the elevator at the Mickey and Friends garage in Disneyland last February for at least 40 minutes. And the really big complaint is that they had to walk all the way there first, since they haven't been using the trams.

 

[bgirldeb]

Two friends of mine, Bret and Jemaine, were stuck on a lift.

It was more of a communication breakdown than an actual elevator breakdown.

 

[Jonfw2]

It was more of a communication breakdown than an actual elevator breakdown.

Hey, they're not all great like the muffin story...there have been some darker times.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

Yes, once and I never want to experience that again. It was w/my ex, his sister, bro-inlaw and his mother. We were at a hotel. Sadly, I started headed towards the stairs and they were like come on and get in the elevator. We were stuck in there for about 45 minutes.

 

[travelbug]

Yes, I got stuck in the elevator where I used to work. It took about 45 minutes for a repairman to come and fix the problem. I was fine while waiting. It was a large well-lit elevator, and I had my cell phone with me. So I just played games and scrolled through FB while waiting. I was just grateful that I had used the restroom right before boarding the elevator, so that wasn't a problem.

 

[slo]

No for me

 

[tazdev3225]

When I was in college I had to see a professor before the winter break. She was on the top floor, I think it was 10 floors up but it was a LONG time ago. On the way down the elevator stopped. There were no cell phones back then and the phone in the elevator wasn't getting picked up. I just kept hitting the alarm. I was stuck for over an hour with someone who later stalked me for a couple of years. Fun times. My mom went into full panic mode because i was several hours late getting home. She called hospitals and police. When I got home she was quite angry til she calmed down enough so that I could explain the situation.

I developed claustrophobia from the incident. I still use elevators but I try to not panic if they are slow. At least now I have a phone on me all the time.

 

[RedAngie]

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.

The same in that furniture store. Those elevators were big enough to move a whole living room suite among floors.

 

[disneydreamer1980]

My DH was stuck in one for an hour once, said he took a nap. Id have been freaking out lol.

 

[TippyThomas]

I'll take it one step further and say that I've never been on an elevator in order to get stuck. I'd never really thought about it until reading this thread.

 

[Imzadi]

No, but I have a fear of getting stuck in one. Living in NYC, I'm in one a lot. I will purposely not get into an elevator with really small kids or a family with a lot of kids, as that would be beyond Hell to be stuck in there with kids who are strangers. And worse if they are screaming or bratty.
I just hang back & wait for the next car.

 

[barkley]

once-not for long but it also dropped about half a floor when it started back up. enough of a jolt to rattle me such that if an elevator sounds/looks wonky i won't get on it. i also won't get into a crowded one b/c i'm claustrophobic to begin with and after being stuck for even a short while the one time-i know the fewer people in there with me the better.

 

[DisneyLover83]

My office is on the 30th floor. I have been stuck twice in 6 years. Once was for about 15 minutes and it involved the elevator car "dropping" two to three floors at a time. That was a terrible and frightening day. The second time was for about 5 minutes and the car sort of reset and look us down to the Lobby.

 

[mamamelody2]

Thank goodness I have not. It is definitely a fear of mine.

 

[Sweetpancake]

When I was in college I had to see a professor before the winter break. She was on the top floor, I think it was 10 floors up but it was a LONG time ago. On the way down the elevator stopped. There were no cell phones back then and the phone in the elevator wasn't getting picked up. I just kept hitting the alarm. I was stuck for over an hour with someone who later stalked me for a couple of years. Fun times. My mom went into full panic mode because i was several hours late getting home. She called hospitals and police. When I got home she was quite angry til she calmed down enough so that I could explain the situation.

I developed claustrophobia from the incident. I still use elevators but I try to not panic if they are slow. At least now I have a phone on me all the time.

Omg!! That's awful and your poor mom, she must have been so worried. I think your story definitely takes the cake!