Elevator luck
I hate riding elevators for many reasons:
- I have a fear of the cable snapping and me free-falling to my death. (Although, I really enjoy free-fall rides at amusement parks. They're great.)
- If the cable doesn't snap, I have a feeling the car will get stuck between floors and it'll be dark and I won't be able to see what button to push to call for help. So I memorize the location of the alarm button and try to stand near it always because...
- Other people will not have the level-head that I possess on my shoulders (the preceding was an outright lie) and will start jamming all the buttons since they haven't taken the time to memorize the layout of the buttons. People also make for...
- Awkward moments. They make me uncomfortable and nothing's more awkward than standing with strangers in a small space and trying not to acknowledge each other.
- Also, I get motion sickness when the car starts and stops. I'm not kidding.
Soooo...here's my story. Yes, I have one. I work on the 32nd floor of a 41-story building. There are 4 elevator bays that go to different sets of floors, although all go to the first and second floor. Mine goes from 29-41.
When I leave for the day, I wish very much to board an empty car and ride it all the way down to the first floor without anyone else (see #4). Most days my wish is granted. So when I got on an empty car yesterday afternoon and the elevator sped down past 31, 30, and 29, I thought, "Success! Again!" Not really. No one talks like that.
BUT, the damn car stopped at the second floor. I panicked a little when I heard a lot of voices on the other side of the doors before they opened. And I was right to be afraid. There were a dozens of men all in white jumpsuits with badges. They started piling in and I moved quickly to the corner, close to my alarm button (see #2).
Then I noticed there was a blue suited officer type guy who was ordering the guys into the elevator. But he wasn't getting on! There was no room for the officer! I was alone with the prisoners. For real, I scooted over even more and tried to catch his eye to try to tell him that there's always room for an officer. But the doors closed and the guys all turned and looked at me.
All of them were the same height and build except one very tall man in the middle of the pack. He was the only one who spoke, too. "Howsa goin', ma'am?"
It was the longest elevator ride in my life, from the second floor to the first.
I usually leave work highly annoyed. Yesterday, I left in fear.
Labels: Yen
« July 06, 2006 7:40 PM | Post a Comment »
2 comment(s):
said:
Best. Picture. Ever.
Although I do think it's amazing how once again you have evaded the men in the white coats (or jumpsuits, as it were)....even surrounded by them with no avenue of escape you managed to use your wiles to evade capture. Astounding! One can't help but wonder how long your luck will last.....
said:
Success! Again!
