Social Butterfly, Peanut and I were heading up to our room late Friday night. We jumped into an elevator with a couple of Shores water polo players and three other people. If you're counting, that's eight people. And no, it wasn't an especially large elevator.
We were all going to the sixth floor. At least, we were trying to get to the sixth floor. Ding. Nothing. Push "open door." Nothing. Push the button to try another floor. Still nothing.
The women standing next to me was disctinctly nonplussed. "I thought about going to the bathroom in the lobby, but decided to just wait until I got to my room."
One of the boys picked up the phone to call for help. I had the fleeting thought that it might be better if one of the adults called because in a hotel full of youth athletes a prank might not be unexpected.
I was right.
Minutes later a disembodied voice floated in. "Are you stuck in there?"
Ummm, yes, we are.
THEN they got maintanence.
The total time we were stuck was less than 15 minutes--which is plenty long enough to review every movie scene in which people are stuck in an elevator and dwell mightily on those scenes in which a cable breaks and the inhabitants shriek in terror as they plunge to their death. Plus, it's really hot in an elevator with eight people.
It was so stressful I had to take the elevator back downstairs for another complimentary warm, gooey, Doubletree chocolate chip cookie.
man, they OWED you that cookie and then some
Posted by: gary rith | August 04, 2011 at 07:41 AM
I am a bit claustrophobic, so that is pretty much my worst nightmare. I'm guessing it was hardest on the lady who needed to pee! When I went to The Art Institute, I had classes on the 10th floor. There were SO many kids who would cram on the old, hand operated elevator that I would take the stairs most days, lugging my 10-15 lb art bag up 10 flights of stairs. My professors probably wondered why I always looked like I was going to pass out when I came to class!
I'm guessing it was hardest on the lady who needed to pee!
Posted by: Jenrantsraves | August 04, 2011 at 10:16 AM
Oops, ignore the fact that it says "lady who needed to pee" twice! :)
Posted by: Jenrantsraves | August 04, 2011 at 10:17 AM
YEP...I did want to hear it.
Scary...very very scary!
Posted by: Busy Bee Suz | August 04, 2011 at 11:10 AM
eek!
Posted by: Janet | August 04, 2011 at 11:25 AM
I am sure it was a very long 15 minutes. Some people would refuse to take the elevator down to get their cookie!
I suspect I would be the lady who needs to pee.
Posted by: Brightside-Susan | August 04, 2011 at 12:55 PM
Thankfully, I have never been stuck in an elevator. I wonder how much longer my luck can hold out since I ride one almost every day.
I'm always the lady who needs to pee!
Posted by: marms37 | August 04, 2011 at 02:11 PM
So was taking the elevator back down the equivalent of getting back on the horse that threw you? Because I probably would have taken the stairs just to be sure I wouldn't get stuck again. Although the odds of that happening again were probably pretty small.
Posted by: kellyg | August 04, 2011 at 03:06 PM
I would definitely have taken the stairs down for that cookie!
Posted by: Renee | August 04, 2011 at 06:06 PM
Glad you survived! One of my favorite Onion articles is about how people turned cannabalistic after being stuck in an elevator ... for half an hour.
Posted by: lanes | August 04, 2011 at 09:43 PM
This post made me think of "You've got Mail" and the scene where Tom Hanks realizes his girlfriend (Parker Posey) is an idiot. Except no one in your story could be confused with this.
Posted by: Schadenfreude Warehouse | August 05, 2011 at 12:25 AM
Love the cookies at Doubletree!!! Glad you were just in there for 15 minutes.
Posted by: Slow Panic | August 05, 2011 at 08:26 AM
This justifies always having yummy cookies when taking an elevator. I can't remember the last time I was stuck in an elevator. Now that I'm living in a small town, I can't even think of the last time I took an elevator. There are no skyscrapers here. I guess I'll have to find another excuse to carry cookies with me.
Posted by: Catherine | August 06, 2011 at 12:55 AM
Been there done that with a three year old who would not leave the very stupidly placed call button alone. Imagine the conversations... "Yes we are still stuck", "I'm very sorry, I am trying to keep him away from the button, but it is right within reach", and so on for an hour and a half. When the doors finally opened we had fire, rescue and an ambulance standing by "to evaluate the condition of the minor". Lord have mercy, a little elevatore maintenance goes a long way! AND we didn't get any cookies! at least your "event" had a delicious ending!
Posted by: bramble | August 06, 2011 at 12:34 PM
Funny we were just talking about what our reaction would be to being stuck in an elevator last night. I said just as long as I had service on my phone and or a book I'd probably enjoy the break :)
Posted by: mom taxi julie | August 07, 2011 at 06:25 PM
Never have been stuck in one, but I'm pretty glad I now work in a single-story building instead of on the 13th floor where I last worked.
Posted by: Aunt Snow | August 08, 2011 at 02:29 PM