Elevators

I have had two mildly odd elevator incidents in the past two days.

Yesterday morning, I was getting into the elevator to go up to my office. I got in and I was standing facing out like one always does, waiting for the door to close. Some other people were getting in, including a woman in high heels. For no reason at all that I could see, the woman in high heels suddenly fell down just outside the threshold of the elevator. It wasn't an especially bad fall, but she'd had her keys in her hand, and as she caught herself on that hand, the keys flew out, skittered away, and fell straight down the gap into the elevator shaft. That big bunch of keys was just--gone. Vanished. She was okay but rode up the elevator with us in great bemusement, trying to figure out what to do about the keys. I hope she ended up getting them back!

Then today I was running a language table meeting in one of the university's buildings. I serve tea at the meetings, and so I periodically have to go out and fetch more water to refresh the tea. I was doing that, and noticed a big man with a bright orange vest from our local grocery store. He was complaining loudly that the elevator wasn't working. I ignored him and kept on with what I was doing. But I could hear his voice echoing down the hall and he searched with increasing desperation for someone responsible who could do something about it.

On the way back from getting the water I was really starting to feel sorry for him. I have a soft spot in my heart for the grocery store maybe or something. And the guy was just trying to do his job, which was deliver bottles of water and soda to one of the lounges. But whoever the responsible person for that was, they weren't around now. So I went back with him and his partner to have a look at the elevator. It was stuck on the third floor and the doors wouldn't close. They had their dolly and were presumably still just in the middle of the delivery, unsure what to do. I shoved at the doors but couldn't budge them. Then I tried pressing the down button. The doors clashed a bit, trying to move and close. I went in. The two delivery men came in too, with their dolly. I pushed some buttons. Pocket of Bolts had just told me that elevators' "Door Close" buttons are usually just a fake to make you feel like you have more control than you do, so I didn't set too much store by that one. But I pushed the 2 button, all the time chattering soothingly to the delivery men. Suddenly the doors closed and the elevator moved smoothly down. Oops! I hadn't meant to be in there too! I got off at the second floor and walked back up the stairs to my language table. I hope they finished their delivery okay!

Pocket of Bolts also told me about a man he read about in the news, who was trapped in an elevator for most of a weekend. A bad scene! Elevators are like an alien species; they're like potentially evil-natured robots. Who knows what they'll do next?