I waited and waited and waited and waited... for the elevator to get to my floor! I finally decide to take the stairs and when I get to the floor I wanted I see what was holding up the elevator, 2 friends talking about lunch! So far this is a rant, but here comes the productivity part. I waited a good 5-6 min for the elevator and ended up taking the stairs which was another 2-3 min, so at least 7 min were wasted that I could have put to good use, not to mention the people that were talking. I've heard stories of people banging on the doors to get their idea across, but I've never had the gall to do that. What would be good instead would be to have a bell installed at every floor. If the elevator is taking it's sweet time, ring it once or twice to let the occupants know someone *is* waiting.
-- barnzenen, May 31 2002

Good idea. You could simplify it a bit. If the elevator is being held open at a floor, a request (via normal buttons) from any floor would ring the bell that you propose. No separate button needed. The bell would be a separate bell or different electronic tone from the normal "elevator's here" sound. The blockers would then be able to act accordingly, if they care.
-- half, May 31 2002


oh, just knee them in the groin - sorry its been a bad week.
-- po, May 31 2002


Or sound an alarm at the security desk so a guard can investigate.
-- phoenix, May 31 2002


...Or snap the doors shut and send the elevator on its way to your floor. (Might need to sharpen the edges of the doors a bit so nothing jams up the elevator shaft, though.)
-- MrWrong, May 31 2002


I've seen elevators that will start ringing a bell and will eventually close the doors on their own unless something solid is between them <As in they hit the arm, not just the arm is in the way> after a time.
-- StarChaser, Jun 01 2002


I like the idea about slamming the door shut, but I work in a healthcare facility, I can't go around cutting peoples arms or legs off.
-- barnzenen, Jun 02 2002


Have a recording play instead of the doorbell. The recording should say something like "Quit holding up the F*#@in elevator or I will come down there and kick all your asses" and if the people continue to hold up the elevator the system would automatically send a bouncer to release the elevator and kick the holders asses.
-- jeffman, Jul 26 2003


Maybe they could make it so the elevator releases sleeping gas and shovels the people out. Or the could make the walls move in, until theirs no room for the people and they have to exit, the walls wouldn't crush though, and you could have an emergency override to that would stop the walls, but also contact the police and an ambulance, so they would get in trouble.
-- zudo, Jul 15 2004


There's a lot of elevators that, if you hold the door open for too long, It makes a sound like a million enraged, helium-voiced insects. God, I hate those.
-- Jake, Jul 07 2005



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