They don't look all that scary. I mean what's wrong with a small, six square foot compartment that travels from floor to floor to satisfy the lazy. I will admit that after a long day, that elevator looks like a slice of heaven compared to the bitter, seemingly never-ending number of stairs. But, to some, including myself, elevators are a fish tank size death trap that at any second could plummet to dark despair.
When you think about it, why would you want to be in a small confined space with, most of the time, a group of strangers who exchange an awkward silence for the 60 seconds in which you ride. Rather then say a, "Hey, how's it going," or "Nice weather we have out there today," to the person next to you, most riders tend to stare at the oh-so-interesting light that flashes when another floor has passed. As for me, I'm one of those riders that stares at the light and cringes at every little noise the elevator makes hoping that the few wires that hold my life suffice.
Maybe it's all the movies that incite the fear in us. No one wants to be Joe Fox in You've Got Mail, stuck inside an elevator with his soon-to-be ex-girlfriend. It wouldn’t be great to be Mr. Smith either, when he’s about to be blown up inside an elevator by his wife, Mrs. Smith.
It might be somewhat ridiculous but I doubt I’m the only person afraid of those scary metal boxes. I’m not sure how I came about having the fear. It’s not as if you hear on the news about elevator incidents very often, except for the incident earlier this month in Florida when a man got stuck between an elevator door and a safety gate. For the most part, it just doesn’t happen. But, I do know one thing. I’d still rather take the stairs.
2 comments:
Have you ever been in an elevator that just seems to go and go endlessly, getting louder and creakier every second? I absolutely hate the feeling that at any moment, you could plummet to the ground with nothing but a metal box for protection! For curiosity's sake, do fear escalators, too?
You must be describing the ancient elevator in Old Main. I rarely take it, but when I do I take a sigh of relief after we pass each floor.
Oh, and I hate it when people get on the elevator and take it up one floor. Now THAT'S lazy!
I like your movie references too - I've seen (and like) both of them!
If you haven't been to Disney World yet you need to go and ride the Tower of Terror. It's one of the best rides. There's something thrilling about plummeting down an elevator shaft that makes your stomach drop. I only hope the only time that happens to me is on that ride - where's it's supposed to happen.
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