Day 12: A recent scary event

Between You, Me and the Lamp Post

Day 12: A recent scary event

It just dawned on me that I haven’t told you about a recent scary event.

While working for a North York company, I got into one of six elevators on my way down to get the mail, when the elevator suddenly violently shook and then came to a stop. Now what?

Don’t panic, I told myself, you’re perfectly fine. Still, I had to do something so I pressed the phone button. A few seconds later a crackly voice came on the line.

“Yes?”

“I’m stuck in the elevator.”

“Which car, ma’am?”

“Car number four.”

“Do you have any medical issues?”

“No.”

“Are you alone?”

“Yes.”

“Are you prone to panicking?”

“No.”

“Okay, ma’am, help is on the way.”

“Thank you.”

Ten minutes passed, then the voice echoed through the elevator car again.

“Hello ma’am, are you still there?”

“Yes.” (Where would I have gone?)

“Are you still okay?”

“Yes.”

“We’ve called for help and someone is on the way.”

“Thank you.”

Since this was obviously going to take a while I figured I might as well sit down.

I waited another fifteen minutes and decided to press the phone elevator button again.

“Yes?”

“I’ve been here half an hour. I thought you said someone is coming?”

“A technician is coming ma’am, but he’s stuck on the highway. Do you work in this building?”

“Yes.”

“Is there anyone we can call for you? The receptionist of the company for instance?”

“I am the receptionist.”

“Oh, well sit tight and the technician will be there as soon as he can.”

Great, I was stuck in an elevator and he was stuck in traffic. 

At that point I was getting rather bored. If this had happened on my way to work or on my way home, I would have had my bag with me, holding my book, my phone and glasses, but as I was on my way getting the mail, I had nothing. I had nothing to read, no phone to play some games on, and no glasses to follow the news on the elevator TV screen.

“Hello ma’am … are you still okay?”

There was the crackly voice again.

“Yes I’m fine, bored but fine.”

Silence ... she obviously didn’t know what to do with that.

“Well, the technician is almost here.”

“Great. Thanks.”

Another fifteen minutes later the door finally opened.

“Hello there, sorry it took so long, I had to come all the way from Kipling and there was a lot of traffic on the road.”

“So I’ve heard.”

“Are you alright?”

“Other than bored I’m perfectly fine.”

“You didn’t panic.”

“Why should I? I’ve seen enough TV shows to know that there’s plenty of oxygen and an elevator is unlikely to fall unless there is a bomb.”

“Glad to hear TV is so educational. You should tell that to my wife.”

After that he extended a hand to help me up because I was rather stiff from sitting by now.

I was instructed by the technician to visit the concierge before heading up to my office. As I did so, the security guard asked my name, where I worked, what had happened, how I had reacted etc. etc. etc.

When I came home and told Dieter about this event, he said that whenever this happens in his building, the unfortunate person receives flowers from the building management.

I’m still waiting for my flowers.