Time lapse video of man stuck on elevator for over 40 hours

[Elidor]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxW36e6XMOY

If you can watch it without laughing, you're made of sterner stuff than me.

[Shakespeare]

1. Wow. I didn't laugh.

40 hours of sad futility. My heart goes out to the guy. Fascinating to watch, though.

[Elidor]

3. I see myself in there

Except I would have spent more time on the door in the ceiling. I understand a lot of them are locked these days...

[Robeson]

2. Mr. White has one hell of a lawsuit...

...hope he's contacted some lawyers by now.

[Fenris]

7. It took four years. He sued for $25 million.

He got at pathetic settlement.

[Critters2]

4. What an awful experience. I can't imagine. nt

[Godhumor]

5. Funny? This is from the "New Yorker" article.

"White never went back to work at the magazine. Caught up in media attention (which he shunned but thrilled to), prodded by friends, and perhaps provoked by overly solicitous overtures from McGraw-Hill, White fell under the sway of renown and grievance, and then that of the legal establishment. He got a lawyer, and came to believe that returning to work might signal a degree of mental fitness detrimental to litigation. Instead, he spent eight weeks in Anguilla. Eventually, Business Week had to let him go. The lawsuit he filed, for twenty-five million dollars, against the building’s management and the elevator-maintenance company, took four years. They settled for an amount that White is not allowed to disclose, but he will not contest that it was a low number, hardly six figures. He never learned why the elevator stopped; there was talk of a power dip, but nothing definite. Meanwhile, White no longer had his job, which he’d held for fifteen years, and lost all contact with his former colleagues. He lost his apartment, spent all his money, and searched, mostly in vain, for paying work. He is currently unemployed."

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/04/21/080421fa_fact_paumgarten?currentPage=1

[Duppers]

12. the poor, poor man

he should have taken a settlement early on and had those 8 weeks in Anguilla paid for, kept his job, and got on with his life.

most lawsuits aren't worth it.

[DS1]

6. I guess I'm made of sterner stuff than you

You can see the stages of panic, disbelief, acceptance, determination, and finally he gets out.

[VenusRising]

8. That was horrible.

I didn't laugh. I sat here watching him feeling his desperation. Tragic what happened to him both on the elevator and after.

[LeftyFingerPop]

9. He did a heck of a lot better than I would have. n/t

[Fox Mulder]

10. There was nothing funny about that video at all.

Imagine if it happened to you. Would you still think it was funny?

Didn't think so.

[Mojambo]

11. That poor bastard.

I did chuckle a couple of times.

How did he manage to go 40 hours without going to the bathroom!?

[Fenris]

13. He didn't. He urinated down the elevator shaft.

[Mojambo]

14. Oh, I missed that. n/t

[LeftyFingerPop]

15. One more thing as I watch this again....

I was stuck on a nursing home elevator for 3 hours with 5 people. One of the nursing aides went into a full blown panic after 5 minutes. Then, with the help of the people stuck on the elevator, she had to ride out that panic for 3 hours until the firemen finally arrived.

It was stuck between 2 floors if you can picture that. They finally got the doors open, and the firemen had to pull everyone out between a 3 foot opening.

40 hours is a long fucking time. A LONG time. Imagine it.

That guy is fucked up for life. The mental stress must have been incredible.

Nice to be able to look at a video and laugh at it.

How terrible.

Jesus.Fucking.Christ.

[Radio_Lady]

16. I couldn't watch the video. I am claustrophobic in elevators. I've been caught twice in them...

Once at the Sheraton Boston in the evening when I'd gone for a 6 PM job interview. And again in Mexico, on New Year's Eve.

In the first case, it was a large elevator, with music flowing in and luckily, the lights were on. Also, it was cool in the elevator and the apparatus felt stable -- no slipping or rocking.

I picked up the telephone and was connected to the hotel operator immediately. I advised her of my plight and she stayed on the phone with me for the 45 or so minutes I was in there. They had already called the fire department and she promised I wouldn't be alone for very long. I kept talking to her and then someone else got on the phone and I talked to him. I think it was the manager -- and he promised me a free dinner in their restaurant. He took down my name, address, and telephone number and said they'd send me a letter.

The firefighters arrived and opened the door. The elevator was about 10 inches BELOW the forward sill of the doorway. A big guy gave me a hand and pulled me up into the lobby.

There was a crowd that had developed and I was glad to get out of there. By the way, I was told by someone at the hotel that there is a way to get out of the elevators with the double doors. You need something hard like a big comb or even a hard shoe. Put the object into the space between the doors (usually there is a rubber gasket there) and spread the doors apart. They should spring open, exposing a lever that will open the exterior door.

The second situation was more scary. We were in Mexico, New Year's Eve, and we went into a very small elevator. There were about 10 jolly but inebriated guests and my husband in there with me, sandwiched in like sardines. As soon as the door refused to open, I let out a scream and fell to the floor. I guess it was an anxiety attack, and of course, it was terribly HOT in that elevator. However, the rest of the group was pretty good natured about it and the whole episode lasted only a few minutes -- I was pretty much out of it and very upset, because we knew how long ANY repair took if we requested it. For the rest of the vacation, I totally avoided that elevator, and walked up and down the stairs to our room.

One of the most difficult memories I had was what it must have been like for all of the poor souls in the World Trade Center buildings -- especially those caught in the elevators who never knew what happened.

That is so troubling I have to end it here.

Sorry for this fellow.

Peace, love and happiness,

Radio Lady in Oregon

PS. I never got a letter from the hotel for that free dinner!

[zanne]

17. My worst fear is being stuck in an elevator!

I couldn't look at the video. When I absolutely have to take an elevator, I actually hold my breath until the doors open. If the doors are a little slow, I start my internal panic and prepare myself for full-blown screaming, kicking and pounding at the doors panic. (It happened when I was 14 years old. Thank God I was alone in there.)