On Elevators

Yeah, I know, it's a little weird, but it's really cold and rainy out so just go with me....

I think one of the elevators at work is possessed. Truly. Earlier today I pushed the button to make it stop at my floor. When it arrived the doors opened, and just as I moved towards them they slammed shut. I pushed the button again, and again they opened and shut. Open, shut. Open, shut. For a second I thought about sticking my hand in quickly to trigger the safety mechanism that keeps the doors open, but then I caught myself--not a good idea! Eventually, the other elevator stopped and I got onto it instead.

(And to head off questions, yes, I could have taken the stairs. But the stairs are actually more scary than the elevator. Because of Stupid Terrorists they have to remain locked, and, while I do have a key, I've been warned that the keys don't always work well. As very few people take the stairs, if I got locked in I could be stuck for awhile.)

But this whole exchange got me thinking--elevators are really kind of a strange device. You get into them in one place, and, without any real expendeture of time or energy, you get off in another. You're moving, but you're staying in one place. It's kind of like when you bring a small animal home from the pet store. It's in one place, it's dark for awhile, and then it's in a completely different place.

If you want to learn all about elevators, check out this site. I won't reiterate here, but it certainly has more information than I ever wanted to know.

*Sigh* I hope the sun comes back soon.