Stuck

Have you ever been stuck in the elevator? I finished that task today, even though it was for 15 minutes only. Okay the event went like this.

Around 1:30 this afternoon, I decided to go back home early as I wasn't feeling too good (most probably due to my lunch). I parked my car on the fifth floor of the parking structure and since I wasn't already feeling very well, I decided to take the elevator (Big mistake). An elderly gentleman joined me with my wait for the fateful elevator. It arrived and we both got in. BTW, this elevator was the one with the transparent glass on the other side so that you can see outside. Anyway, I pressed the button for my floor and politely asked him for his. He was going to floor 4. The elevator door closed. And then the wait begin...but the elevator didn't move. "Why isn't this elevator moving?", I asked after 10 secs of waiting (how fast our patience run out these days). The elderly gentleman looked up(he was apparently in his thoughts) and realized that the elevator wasn't moving. And then started the pressing of different buttons.

Did you ever notice the "Alarm" button or the "Emergency Call" push buttons in the elevator? Did you ever wonder how to use them? Well I was wondering that so I asked "So do we use Alarm button now?". "Not yet", came the answer and a moment later he added "Don't panic.". I assumed he was telling himself that. We continued pressing the "Open Door" and "Level 1" button alternatively for another minute. Then we tried "LL" (Lower Level = Basement) button (may be it will go the other way). Nothing worked. So he finally decided to press the "Alarm". Well it rang an alarm with in the elevator. Hmmm...thats interesting to know. Why would anyone want to sound an alarm inside the elevator when he is already in the elevator?

Anyways, I suggested to go for the "Emergency call" button. Its supposed to blink indicating the help is on way. What to do if it doesn't blink? Ours didn't. It just went off after 5 secs. We pressed it again..no change in results. By now we have learnt that pressing the button repeatedly isn't working for this elevator. So I took out the cell phone (Surprise, surprise, I had my cell phone and it was fully charged..trust me, me and my cell phone are rarely found together) and said a bit shakily, "well we can use the phone". He said equally shakily, "Is there a phone number we can reach?" I canvased the whole elevator for a number to reach. There was "How to operate?" writing, a permit of elevator operation but no phone number. So should I dial 911? That was a scary thought. Trust me. But as I was contemplating dialing the emergency number there was a sudden bang and the elevator started to go down towards the basement, at normal speed I must add. 'Well now', I thought, 'finally I can go back to being sick', but then another thought struck, 'what if doors still don't open'. Well, it reached the basement level, finally, and slowly and smoothly the door opened. And we were free to climb six floors (five in case of elderly gentleman). Great.

I know its pretty anticlimactic but hey, this is real life and not Hollywood, what did you expect? Handsome, cute, macho firemen coming to our rescue? Sirens blazing everywhere and us coming out of a hostage situation? Dreams, dreams...

P.S.: In case you were wondering, yes, thats what I was contemplating about when that wretched elevator decided to start working again, breaking all my dreams to be rescued by a handsome prince...sob.