Elevator Phobia -- Justified!

I used to not mind elevators.  In fact, as a kid, my sisters and I thought they were fun.  We grew up in a town with only one, and on rare occasions that we'd get to go with our dad to Yuma's super tall, 7 floor Crescent Center, we'd consider it a real thrill because it meant we'd get to ride the elevator.  As I got older and rode them regularly, I began to develop a minor dislike for them.

What clinched my growing fear of elevators was, ironically enough, a ride in one to the top of the World Trade Center some 25 years ago.  My sister Anne-Marie and I decided to visit Windows on the World for a drink one night.  A group of slightly tipsy teens attending their prom at Windows on the World took an unexpectedly long ride with us in the elevator.  The ascent to the 104th Floor should have taken only a few minutes, but the elevator inched its way upward, painfully slow.  It was evident something was not right!  I had been in buildings higher than Yuma's Crescent Center many times before -- maybe not as high as the WTC, but I had been to the top of the John Hancock Tower and the Prudential Center in Boston, as well as the Empire State Building.  I know elevators, specifically express ones, travel quickly enough to high floors to make your ears pop. There were no popping ears here -- only increasing jitters as it took more than 20 minutes to reach the top.  I will say the tipsy teens in their fancy clothes did take the edge off as they made comments that made everyone laugh!  Once at the 104th floor, we all breathed a syncronized sigh of relief and exited the elevator.  Anne-Marie and I took a seat by the window for a now-much-needed glass of wine.  A short time later the ride down took only a fraction of the time, ears popping on the way.

Ever since then I've been wary of elevators, and feel myself tensing up if the doors hesitate the slightest bit.  Glass elevators are ok -- if I can see out, I'm in control of my fears.  Whenever possible, I choose stairs over elevators, and I always avoid riding solo in one.

But last week while in New York, my friend Cindy and I were attending an art show on floors 2-5, so we opted to start at the 5th floor and work our way down.  We had just walked a decent amount through the chilly streets of New York (cabs are hard to find during rush hour!).  Even though I usually prefer stairs when only five flights are involved,  Cindy suggested we take the elevator to the 5th floor and walk down.  Six of us, five women and a man, pile into the tiny elevator with no room to spare.  The doors close and we lift  about 3 feet, and then drop a foot or so with a clunk. All six of us look at each other, saying things like "that didn't sound good." and "uh oh, are we stuck?"  I push buttons on the panel with no results, and then someone reaches over me to push the emergency call button.  A muffled voice says "hello."  "We're stuck in the elevator," we reply.  The voice responds "Are you stuck in the elevator?"  One of us says "yes."  Then, no response.  This happens two more times.  With the third "Are you stuck in the elevator," all six of us reply with a  harmonious 'yes!'

For forty minutes we waited for help to arrive.  As I thought about how one of my worst nightmares had come true, Cindy passed out breath mints (did I mention how small the elevator was?)  and an anti-anxiety pill for me.

The six of us became fast friends as we facebooked our predicament, texted our kids and friends, and tweeted.  We took group selfies, played Nelly and Tim McGraw's Over and Over on the iphone while attempting to dance, and laughed about the what-ifs.  I was comforted by the noise outside and an occasional rap on the elevator door, confirming that we weren't stuck in between brick walls.

Once the elevator technicians arrived, it was only seconds to get us out.  A small crowd awaited our release, greeting us with a glass of wine.  Cindy and I viewed the art and went to meet friends at a nearby restaurant, grateful the 40 minutes wasn't longer!  And for the rest of the weekend, I used the stairs!