The building I was in has 4 floors. Usually, it only cavitates between the 3rd and 4th floors.

This time, I could hear it as soon as I stepped in on floor 1.

The floor started vibrating as soon as the car moved, and it got so loud that I couldn't hear myself think. I could actually feel the car struggling to get to the 4th floor, it would kind of hover, sink and then go up, sink and then go up, over and over again.

Have you ever been in an earthquake? It's like that, but times 6.

(But remember, it is totally safe.)

As it was struggling to get to the 4th floor, I was technically stuck.

In this event, hit the emergency button. I know, you think you're not supposed to, but HIT THE DAMN BUTTON.

It calls the elevator company immediately to get you out. It is not embarrassing, that is literally what they are there for.

This button also sends a diagnostic signal to the elevator company so that they can immediately troubleshoot what went wrong. You don't hit it, someone may get stuck right after you and they won't know what exactly went wrong.

I didn't hit the button because:

It is my job. I intentionally rode that elevator that I knew was cavitating to gauge how bad it was and to time it. I already knew the company was on the way and was trained and prepared for this kind of scenario.

@guerrillarain You are working in elevator maintenance now :O ?

@Sylvhem I don't work for an elevator company, my job is a catch-all for any and everything related to office buildings

So I learned a lot about elevator maintenance and I know a lot of details but I am not the one doing it.

@guerrillarain Oh I see. So your jobs is to identify everything that car go wrong with an office building's equipment?

@Sylvhem Identify and find somebody/call somebody to fix it if my team can't fix it ourselves, yes.

@guerrillarain That's so cool! You are doing one of the most useful jobs of the world :O.

To repair a cavitating elevator, the techs come in and add oil. Literally. That's it, and then they ride it a few times to make sure that it shuts up.

However, the phone operators are especially trained to handle entrapments. They will talk to you if you have anxiety, they will keep you calm, and, if you have a medical emergency, they will call EMTs. So yes, trust in the button.

They gotchu.

@guerrillarain thank you for this thread, I used to be afraid of elevators, back in my youth. A week ago I got stuck in one, but I managed to stay calm and patient. The "worst" part of being stuck is actually the fact that it is a small enclosed space, imo.

@Stereoscopic Yes, absolutely.

I think the phone operators are especially trained for claustrophobia, but (from what I remember, the figure could be wrong) elevator companies are required to respond in like less than 30 minutes if someone is trapped inside and operators have to keep you company for that whole time.

@guerrillarain guerrilarain, the real intuitionist

@guerrillarain really cool post, and a significant addition of elevator knowledge compared to the almost nothing i knew before. only on masto would someone i follow just have extensive knowledge of elevator maintenance...

@mallaidh Any time! It was some cool stuff to learn.

@guerrillarain
This is a really great thread, and can confirm, having been stuck in an elevator here in the UK and as someone who gets claustrophobic that the operator was super nice and helpful and help arrived very quickly. Heck yeah emergency buttons.

@Nine Oh cool! I'm glad to hear.

Unfortunately (and also luckily) for me, I've never actually had someone trapped inside. Usually they get trapped for at most a minute or two, so by the time it is reported to me (due to reluctance to touch the button) and I get there, they are already out.

Other thing that I forgot to mention!

Elevators will not open if there is a problem with the doors. This is a safety mechanism.

So, if there are pebbles in the door tracks (the little groves at the bottom where the doors slide), the doors may get stuck and, as a result, the elevator WILL NOT MOVE INTENTIONALLY.

(So that way no one is sandwiched between the doors when it moves, getting cut or hurt or squished or whatever other crap you see on TV.)

@guerrillarain I once right that modern elevators are way safer than staircases.

@Sylvhem I wouldn't be surprised. You are shielded from everything by a giant chunk of flat metal with a million safety protocols.

@guerrillarain Huh, I've never known any of this! Thanks.