Do you know what a Paternoster lift is?

[Pinksands1]

I dont know how I had never heard of this type of lift before. The wikipedia definition says 'consists of a chain of open compartments that move continuously I'm a loop up and down a building without stopping. Passengers can step on or off at any floor they like'.

Anyway, they look bloody terrifying. I am so uncoordinated, I just know I would faff about trying to get on quickly and do myself an injury! Has anyone used one? Are they as scary as they look?

Realistically the getting on and off bit is no different to using an escalator.

The wikipedia page says that they are 30 times more dangerous than normal lifts and their use would be a bit of an extreme sport for wheelchair users.

Perhaps they will come back - they are much more suited to social distancing than a conventional lift.

I used one as a Nurse at St Thomas' Hospital, '87-'89. It was brilliant. No waiting and felt safe using it. Sadly some clown decided it would be OK to transport a hospital supplies cage in it. It wasn't. The lift jammed and I think that was then end of it.

Yes, I've been in the Leicester Uni one and it was terrifying. I am really clumsy and could not stop wondering if I was going to trip over on the way out and get sliced in half.

(Although to be fair I am similarly skittish about revolving doors, which I also view as an accident waiting to happen.)

@Pelleas

Perhaps they will come back - they are much more suited to social distancing than a conventional lift.

I heard that that’s why the Northwick Park one has been renovated, but I don’t know if that’s just a rumour. It would make sense though! One person per cubicle, no/limited queuing, it’s got to be better than multiple people cramming into a lift together.

Was there one in Leeds? I have a very vague memory of watching one as a small child. Maybe in a bank or a department store (Schofield’s staff area)?

I have a horror of escalators (the nearest thing) to this day!

When I worked in Germany I was sent to another building one day and had to use one. I fell and hurt myself. Never again!

Yes, I used one for. A while, iit was years ago and accepted a s quite routine, Dont remember any accidents or going over the top

I remember the Birmingham uni one in the late 90s, not sure how long it went on after that though

^^ thar was the dental school one, apparently there was one in the main library too

Yes. But I only learnt recently when we went to Imperial College. They used to have one there.

I do. Apparently they used to be popular in university libraries. Less popular now because they are no good for people who use wheelchairs etc. I'd like to try one though.

There was one at Birmingham Dental hospital for staff students not patients when I was at Birmingham university in late 80-90's there was another elsewhere in Birmingham university great fun

They would be better for social distancing than conventional lifts.

@Katyy

Yep used it at Sheffield university in the 70s. Don’t know if it’s still there though .

Of course we still use it it's only 1982 here We keep it cos Leeds haven't got one

Another Sheffield Alumni here. It was still there 4 years ago (took dd on it at open day. She thought it terrifying. I had a work colleague whose party trick was to ride it doing a handstand to convince people that you went upside down when you went over the top.

Essex university library used to have one too, no idea if it’s still there.

There was one at Leicester Polytechnic (as was) in the 1980s when I was there.
Never rode in it myself but I seem to remember the attempts to get as many students in one cubicle as possible.

Yes our university had one. I took the stairs for 3 years.

yes there was one at my university. Haven't seen another one for years though.

@nannytothequeen is right about the one at Newcastle Uni, and the fact that it has gone too, if we are thinking of the same one.

When I was young my dad worked in the building with the lift (Claremont Tower) so when we visited him we would use it. I was petrified of it, but also fascinated - it used to take me ages to screw up the courage to jump i to a pod, whereas my dad and the other people who worked in the building would walk straight in without missing a stride, often while reading something as they walked.

Then in 1975 there was a fatal accident when one of the pods failed to transfer from the up to the down shaft, or thr down to the up. I don't know how to put a web link here, but if you google it, you can read about it.

Confirmed everything I thought about how dangerous they were!

I used to work in Sheffield and would often pop into the Arts Tower to have a ride. Loved it.

@maras2

There's one in a northern university, not sure which but ever since Googling it I have frequent nightmares about it. It really is a work of horror However DH, a designer himself absolutely loves them and wants my dreams weirdo

Sheffield. But I don't think it's still there.

We had one at a place I used to work. Still have dreams about it! One time, an engineer and his son climbed into the lift on a Saturday and decided to go around the bottom. They got stuck! Luckily someone rescued them. I also remember some tw*t shoving wheeled chairs into it, thinking they'd bounce out at the next floor, not checking who was already in it!

I read on Wikipedia that they are 30 times more dangerous than lifts and have been deaths in them