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Original poster

Have you ever been stuck in a lift?

70 replies

MrsDeanWinchester75 · 30/01/2019 21:45

Just wondering how often it happens and how long you're stuck for.

I'm scared of getting stuck so never use them but my Mum is struggling with stairs now but doesn't like to use lifts on her own so I need to start getting over my phobia.

I was talking to a member of staff in Debenhams earlier about it and he told me they're always breaking down, I asked how long before they get people out and he said "not long, about an hour".Shock

OP posts:
littletortoise · 30/01/2019 22:50

Yes, once, when I was three or so. I don’t think it was for long - perhaps half an hour, and I only remember getting sweets afterwards because I cried. I’m disabled so sometimes lifts are my only option but I am terrified of getting stuck in one!

wafflyversatile · 30/01/2019 22:51

Several times. Usually abroad. Never for very long though.

donajimena · 30/01/2019 22:53

A lift in a Cardiff shopping centre failed on the weekend and carried the occupants gaily up. Then down. Repeatedly for around 40 minutes. It was likened to the Tower of Terror.

cakesandphotos · 30/01/2019 22:54

A few times, most notably in a lift in new look. No one knew I was in there, the alarm didn’t work and Sod’s law I didn’t have my phone. When I finally got someone attention they had to call the fire brigade. I was mortified but it makes for a great story Grin

PennyMordauntsLadyBrain · 30/01/2019 22:55

Twice! Both times at work (different places).

The first time I was stuck with one of my team and we thought it was hilarious. Thankfully the lift had only gone up about four feet, so when the security guard opened the door (after hearing our girlish screams) we were able to jump into his arms.

The second time was when we’d just moved into a newly refurbished office and the lift had been cordoned off a few times with teething problems. I was 8 months pregnant and working on the 4th floor when I was heading out on lunch and the fucking thing lurched and stopped between floors. I was looking round trying to work out how to protect the baby if the lift just plummeted and ate the Emergency Lion Bar I had in my coat pocket. Then after about two mins weirdly it lurched again and moved to a random floor, where I leapt out and scurried down the stairs.

I’m still not scared of getting in lifts, but I do have a recurring nightmare where I’m in one that keeps dropping.

TheHatOfDoom · 30/01/2019 22:56

I use a wheelchair and have done since birth so I use lifts all the time. I’ve never been stuck in a normal lift. I have been stuck in a platform lift 4 or 5 times. Those tend to be poorly serviced and break often. In my family we now ask “is it a normal lift or a scary lift?” and I won’t let having to use one mean I miss out but I can avoid it I do.

CarrotCakeMuffins · 30/01/2019 22:56

I got stuck in a lift at a University open day. The Students showing us round the department squeezed too many people into the lift & overloaded it. I don't remember how long we were stuck, but I do remember we were counted out once the lift was fixed and they were not impressed...

Prisonbreak · 30/01/2019 22:58

Once in Bulgaria when I was 15. Probably stuck in for around 30 mins. Using the ‘call for help’ wasn’t much use as they didn’t speak English and I didn’t understand them either. I was alone in the lift but they managed to force the door enough that I could crawl out

Ollivander84 · 30/01/2019 23:01

No. But I was so scared of lifts I had CBT for it. I'm still not great with them especially if I'm on my own

viques · 30/01/2019 23:01

I have a friend who lives in a block of flats and I got stuck, on my own, in their lift. I was rescued by firemen they wound the lift up, or Dow, to a floor and got me out.. That was fun!

I used to work in Senate House at the University of London and they had some tiny lifts tucked away in the back corridors, they were REALLY tiny, you could just about get two people in, and were liable to stop unexpectedly for a few minutes at any time ( especially if you jiggled the inner sliding door Grin ). My friend and I always used to use them if we were in work time, but never if we were going somewhere in our lunch time, or on the way home. We stuck to the proper lifts then of course and didn't jiggle anything..

MrsApplepants · 30/01/2019 23:02

Yes once, at work, for 2 hours. Happily with a fully laden tea trolley! After the first hour, had a lovely time chatting and having a cuppa with the catering lady, sitting on the floor!

LiftStory · 30/01/2019 23:03

Had to name change for this because it is incredibly outing! Once stuck in a lift for about 45 minutes.

One drunken night at my friends halls of residence we decided to go and see someone she fancied and convince him to come out with us.

So six of us ran to the lift and got in to go up 4 floors. It broke down. None of us had a phone on us because we were only popping up to see him and the alarm button wasn't working.

We screamed for help for about 20 minutes before someone heard us. A fire engine was called and they opened the doors but we couldn't climb up.

Also, should point out here that it was a friend's birthday and we'd all decided to dress in fancy dress as zombies. So we were covered in fake blood, all over our clothes and faces. As well as this, one of the more drunk friends had a panic attack and passed out so she was just lying on the floor.

The first fire fighter looked in and then popped his head back to speak to someone before coming back to us. It turns out he's told them that trey needed an ambulance and that someone had been attacked. He was asking us what was wrong with the girl on the floor and we just couldn't stop giggling at the situation that he didn't quite get the gist of what we were saying. Literally 2 minutes later the police were there and paramedics. They turned all the electricity off and we climbed out (later told that we shouldn't have been taken out that way) the passed out girl came round as we were getting out so we managed to hoist her out too.

We managed to explain what had happened when we were face to face with the firefighters police and paramedics. Luckily we all saw the funny side. I'm still not sure why the fireman didn't ask us specifically what was on our clothes which would have saved the confusion!

Also the boy from 4 floors up had come down at this point to see what the commotion was and we managed to convince him and his flat mates to come out.
One of which was DH Grin

Jenny89 · 30/01/2019 23:04

No. I hate lifts, no never been in one, and never got stuck in one

Strugglingtodomybest · 30/01/2019 23:10

I got stuck in one at uni for an hour. We'd overloaded it and got a good telling off. It was boiling.

SleepWarrior · 30/01/2019 23:12

No, but I did a 'how many students can you get in a lift' thing. We all put our arms in the air to squeeze more in, then the doors closed and we realised nobody could get their arms down to press the button. So it was a bit of a wait until someone called the lift from the outside Grin

Eatmycheese · 30/01/2019 23:12

Yes in Rome in the capitoline museum. It was a rickety old contraption. I freaked out and managed to prise the doors open about half an inch. The female security guard shrugged and smiled at me as it to say get a grip when the lift finally started up and we got out again.

Tangofandango · 30/01/2019 23:14

30 years ago, almost to the day, I was stuck in a hotel lift in Italy with 5 singers from Glyndebourne opera company, and the Proclaimers. We were only stuck for about 5 minutes and it wasn't too scary but I would've started panicking if it had been any longer.

FranklinTheCat · 30/01/2019 23:22

Twice, each time for around 40 minutes. Once at uni - totally our fault, we overloaded it. Sunday evening. Had to wait for the fire brigade to turn up Blush. Very uncomfortable - and we were on the bloody ground floor!

Second time was at work. Got stuck between floors. Had to climb out and down a stepladder wearing a skirt Blush.

I wouldn't exactly recommend it but the worst side for me was boredom and embarrassment!

AviatorShades · 30/01/2019 23:48

Yes, in my wild daysWink. I was shacked up with an out of work American actor who was hoping to make it big in Rome at Cinecitta and we rented an appt just off the Via Veneto. So,tall old building with old lifts. Which stopped when we were between floors staggering home after a very liquid night out. Ages later, and after hitting the emergency button many times, nature had to take its course....

So...anyone else had to piss in a broken lift stuck between floors?Grin

JustAnotherMillennial · 31/01/2019 06:37

Never, I hate lifts (am claustrophobic) and avoid them at all possible - I figure I do not have time for the gym so a few flights is good for me Grin

But when I was about 3 my mum walked out of the lift without me! Thankfully it was only at a hotel where she works so I was found within 5mins.

Dimedollar · 31/01/2019 06:56

At work for 45 minutes with 10 politicians for company. My boss kept ringing me on my mobile screeching at me to get them out, not a lot I could do, the engineers were hard at it.

Worst bit was that they could only manage to get the lift back down to the bottom, then we all had to traipse up 8 floors.

HunterHearstHelmsley · 31/01/2019 06:59

Once for about an hour at work. It was fine. I just sat down and had a rest Grin I was on my own though. I think I'd have found it worse if others were there.

Sproutingcorm · 31/01/2019 07:13

Vicques your initials aren't GA are they by any chance? (Long shot.) I had a temporary job at Senate House once which was really fun!

DaedricLordSlayer · 31/01/2019 08:52

I worked for small lift company once, I was based in the office but a couple of times, I went out on service visits with them, the engineers use controls on top of the lifts so I got to zoom up and down the lift shafts on top of lifts with them! it was fun and felt quite dangerous Shock

I don't tend to use lifts if I can help it. some lift companies are a bit shit at maintenance and getting engineers out to stuck lifts. The company I worked for said it shouldn't have to come down to the fire brigade being called out. Lift companies should have plenty of engineers on 24 hour call out for stuck lifts.

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