That building had security guards. The article says that 8 of them had a chance to notice the security monitors, but none of them did.

The guy smoked some cigarettes, so presumably there was no smoke alarm. There was a manual alarm but no-one heard it and eventually he turned it off. There were engineers working in other elevators but they didn't check his. Although it was late Friday night, he had some work colleagues who expected him back, but they thought he'd bunked off deliberately.

He didn't even have a watch, so he didn't know what time it was or when other people were more likely to be about.

I think Sue is saying that it was the stuck passenger that didn't speak English, not security.

I was at an interview a couple weeks ago, and got stuck in an elevator with 15 other people -- and this wasn't a big cargo elevator. The interviewer asked if anyone was claustrophobic, and I said that I was, so everyone said, "Oh! Quick! Move her to the front of the elevator." Great. Now I'm stuck near the front of an elevator with 15 other people instead of being stuck near the back of the elevator with 15 other people. As Dr. Henry Jones Sr. says, "Our situation has not improved."

I asked the interviewer if she knew the phone number for security, and she didn't, so I asked her if she knew the main number, which she also didn't. She called her secretary, who called security. Meanwhile, the people on the other side of the elevator were trying to get the elevator phone to work. Someone answered, and said they would call security, who would call the elevator maintenance people...

I figured that if I wasn't out of there in five minutes, I was calling 911 and telling them I was about to have a baby in the elevator.

I told someone to pull open the doors, which they did, and he was able to open the door about five inches before it snagged on something metal and wouldn't open further. We weren't between floors, so I told him to pull harder, but was vetoed by the other people in the elevator who didn't want to break anything.

A few minutes later, someone on the floor where we were stuck apparently pressed the elevator call button, and Ding! the elevator doors opened. We all poured out of the elevator and took the stairs to our destination.

If it had just been me in there, I would have been out of that elevator in about 30 seconds flat by forcing the doors, but it's a more delicate situation when there are other people present, and one of them is there to interview you.

Breaking out of an elevator is inherently dangerous. Falls, getting ground between elevators or an elevator and the shaft, getting entangled in gears, belts or cables, exposed electrical gear and the chance the car moves when your halfway through the door are all possible outcomes of trying to get out on your own.

Sometimes staying put and waiting for rescue isn't an attractive option. Rescue can take hours. Time you might not have if the building is on fire or you suffer from one of the many time dependent diseases like diabetes.

On 9/11, according to the firefighters who survived and at least one photograph I have seen, several elevator cars were occupied. These had been directed to the ground floor. But in some cases the doors wouldn't open. The firemen, operating according to standard protocols, considered freeing the trapped people a low priority. They were thought to be trapped but otherwise safe. The building fell on them before they were freed.

These situations are pretty rare and the default has to be to wait but a person has to be aware of the limits of normal behavior and situations. And when it is best to eschew normal limits and to take risks in an attempt to save yourself.

Looking at a few elevator installations all of them had hatches in the ceiling. Often concealed above a false ceiling and lights. usually somewhat toward the back of the car. All these hatches had latches that were operable only from the outside. But don't be discouraged. All of the locks I saw were cheap, lightly constructed and attached with nothing but a few small screws. I have no doubts that a determined shove or kick would quickly overcome them.

Getting to the trapdoor in the ceiling is the hardest part. If the car has hand rails you can use those and the geometry of the corner to get into position. A little assistance from fellow passengers would also help.

What you do after that is too varied to make many recommendations. I will suggest that you be careful. Take it one step at a time. And that if you do get the outer doors open that you move as quickly as possible through the doorway to limit the chances of getting guillotined if the car should move.

I believe Ripley demonstrated the best method. Just hold your cigarette lighter up to the sensor.
When in doubt, look to James Cameron.

Meh... I would've went for it, interview or no interview. "Well, she did damage company property, but she appears to be an unstoppable problem solver!"


My only thought is that I want to see Bear handle this scenario on Man vs. Wild.

Yeah, a practical demonstration of leadership skills and "out of the box thinking."

;-)