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on the right...)
Entering the building, a set of “Rent-a-Cop” security guards evaluate each person that walks past the polished wood finished station centered in the lobby. Each guard is dressed in the typical generic looking uniform, a blue or white collared shirt with a black or blue over jacket and black slacks. A cheesy-chromed badge covers their lower left chest and wobbles back and forth as they walk around. The guards immediately questioned my intentions while entering the building, but after some persuasion they gave me background on the building rather then interrogating.
The construction, both interior and exterior, was no more unique than any other building built in the 70’s or 80’s except for the elevator lay out. It was a typical rectangle twenty-nine or thirty story building with several symmetrical horizontal windows on each floor. The interior is also straightforward. There are a series of hallways on most of the business floors, all cream in color, with entrances that break off in to large rooms with 10x5 cubicles that are shared between two people. Although rooms grew in class and size in the upper floors. The building is set up in a weird fashion to where you have to take one set of elevators, that go from the first floor to the fifteenth, which is on the left as you enter. Then the other elevators on the right go from the lobby first floor to the fifteenth and then to the twenty-ninth floor, which is on the right. There are six elevators on both sides of the guard station for “Maximum occupancy,” stated by a guard.
As I made my way towards the first set of elevators shortly after seven o’clock I thought it would be best to take refuge in the upper second set, the fifteenth to the twenty-ninth floor elevators. The elevators on the right side, second from the front.
Only the few “early birds” were up and moving around; people who always have a smile on their face no matter the time to where they almost look plastic. All of them were dressed up in various office attire. They were mostly girls but there were a few guys.
The hallways were lined with marooned marble with elevator sections in between. One large light provided a mellow tone for the hallway while smaller lights brightened up the corners. The ceiling and floor mirrored each other except the instead of a light on the floor there was a large red tight threaded carpet for both elegance and traction. The elevator was very polished from top to bottom, inside and out. The back of the elevator was sectioned full body mirror while the sides appeared like dark red wood showing each line that a tree would have if it were real. All around the sides and seams was a glittery stainless steal trim. The front of the elevator from the inside was all stainless steal, but not as shiny because of all the wear and use. The front left contained all the buttons for floors fifteen through twenty-nine, and all the emergency buttons were color coordinated and glossy to be easy distinguished. Just above all the buttons sat about a seven-inch monitor that showed the daily news, stock and marketing, and weather. The monitor had no sound and the elevator had no speakers so all you could hear was the shrieking of the cables as tension was applied and taken off. The dimmed yellow lights shining from the ceiling made the atmosphere friendly, especially since there were rushes of people gathering towards the elevators.
A group of “plastics” followed by some casual dressed people made their way in to the gleaming elevator, which grew with a musty smell of cheep colognes and sweet scented perfumes. As each person piled into the elevator as I glanced up at the metallic punched in numbers “MAXIMUM CAPACITY: 1500 LBS” and just then I found my opening question. After about twelve or thirteen people piled in all emotionlessly staring at the miniature screen at the front-top-left side of the elevator at the news channel with and eerie silence, except for a few “plastics” next to me on both sides sipping on there steaming Star Bucks coffee.
I murmured just loud enough for everyone to hear, to crack their hypnotic state, “ 17,100 people are seriously injured in elevator accidents.” Almost instantaneously all smiles ceased, every body slumped, and all wide-eyed person’s attention were at me. After about a eight second delay the elevator dinged twice and opened after climbing one floor, and a few slumped out of the elevator looking down dreading another day of slow work with large figures money that they someday hope to own. Another couple dings passed and then the doors began to merge I muttered, “Aren’t the elevators in this building going under construction as well???” Now the front and some of the mid rows were just ignoring me, but I caught the attention of those around me.
“So… how do you like the elevator? I said to the average slender woman next to me. Not realizing that I asked her, she glanced a few times, just her eyes, no motion with her face or body. After repeating myself she answered, “well I tend to enjoy the rides but… the comments that you made earlier are a bit frightening.” When she spoke her lower jaw bobbed to the lower left and then back up again, like a horse eating hey. “I was just looking for a potential candidate to ask a few questions to, would you mind?” Narrowing her eyes she replied, “ I could spare five minutes or so.”
“Did you know that elevators originated in the early 19th century, but didn’t truly evolve and modernize until 1880?” Her attitude seemed to slight as she thought I was just another student doing typical student affairs. Before she could reply I brought up the fact that the elevator was surely pushing the maximum capacity with twelve or plus more people. From the center right side of the elevator a plump bald man, really short in stature, replied, “I have noticed that since I worked her,” chuckling, “but never really thought about it till you brought up the injury statistic!” a few more deep chuckles and smiles filled the crammed space.
“Would anyone go as far as to personify an elevator as a friend? I mean it takes you were you need to go, especially when your too tired to take the stairs, it even introduces you to new people.” The elevator atmosphere completely lightened as conversations sputtered back and forth between everyone in the elevator. The woman with the awkward jaw spoke up and said, “As a friend? I don’t know if I would go that far, but I do consider it to be a very appropriate invention.” Cocking my head back and adjusting my voice, “Who here has been in an elevator alone, and just did something that you wouldn’t normally do like sing to some music, start talking, dancing, anything out of the ordinary with in the past year?” Everyone agreed that at one point or time they had done something, and while some of the people in the front stepped off they continued the conversation with each other out of the elevator. “Wouldn’t you consider that a comfort zone, something that you’d have with a friend?” At different times I could hear, “I guess so, but I never thought of it like that,” from different parts of the elevator.
What was left of the crow had gotten off between the seventeenth and twenty-sixth floor. Just one guy and me remained in the elevator. But as his floor approached he turned and said, “I understand where you are coming from, but it is such a weird idea, and I will be sure to consider the idea the next time ride!”
on the right...)Sitting lonely, casually taking those who request its services to their destination, we meet our friend, a local elevator at the Fiserv building 717, 17th st. Fiserv is a financial institution that manages money mostly for the wealthy or those who could afford it. The building opens around five o’clock-ish, while the gathering of workers tend to rush in around eight.
Entering the building, a set of “Rent-a-Cop” security guards evaluate each person that walks past the polished wood finished station centered in the lobby. Each guard is dressed in the typical generic looking uniform, a blue or white collared shirt with a black or blue over jacket and black slacks. A cheesy-chromed badge covers their lower left chest and wobbles back and forth as they walk around. The guards immediately questioned my intentions while entering the building, but after some persuasion they gave me background on the building rather then interrogating.
The construction, both interior and exterior, was no more unique than any other building built in the 70’s or 80’s except for the elevator lay out. It was a typical rectangle twenty-nine or thirty story building with several symmetrical horizontal windows on each floor. The interior is also straightforward. There are a series of hallways on most of the business floors, all cream in color, with entrances that break off in to large rooms with 10x5 cubicles that are shared between two people. Although rooms grew in class and size in the upper floors. The building is set up in a weird fashion to where you have to take one set of elevators, that go from the first floor to the fifteenth, which is on the left as you enter. Then the other elevators on the right go from the lobby first floor to the fifteenth and then to the twenty-ninth floor, which is on the right. There are six elevators on both sides of the guard station for “Maximum occupancy,” stated by a guard.
As I made my way towards the first set of elevators shortly after seven o’clock I thought it would be best to take refuge in the upper second set, the fifteenth to the twenty-ninth floor elevators. The elevators on the right side, second from the front.
Only the few “early birds” were up and moving around; people who always have a smile on their face no matter the time to where they almost look plastic. All of them were dressed up in various office attire. They were mostly girls but there were a few guys.
The hallways were lined with marooned marble with elevator sections in between. One large light provided a mellow tone for the hallway while smaller lights brightened up the corners. The ceiling and floor mirrored each other except the instead of a light on the floor there was a large red tight threaded carpet for both elegance and traction. The elevator was very polished from top to bottom, inside and out. The back of the elevator was sectioned full body mirror while the sides appeared like dark red wood showing each line that a tree would have if it were real. All around the sides and seams was a glittery stainless steal trim. The front of the elevator from the inside was all stainless steal, but not as shiny because of all the wear and use. The front left contained all the buttons for floors fifteen through twenty-nine, and all the emergency buttons were color coordinated and glossy to be easy distinguished. Just above all the buttons sat about a seven-inch monitor that showed the daily news, stock and marketing, and weather. The monitor had no sound and the elevator had no speakers so all you could hear was the shrieking of the cables as tension was applied and taken off. The dimmed yellow lights shining from the ceiling made the atmosphere friendly, especially since there were rushes of people gathering towards the elevators.
A group of “plastics” followed by some casual dressed people made their way in to the gleaming elevator, which grew with a musty smell of cheep colognes and sweet scented perfumes. As each person piled into the elevator as I glanced up at the metallic punched in numbers “MAXIMUM CAPACITY: 1500 LBS” and just then I found my opening question. After about twelve or thirteen people piled in all emotionlessly staring at the miniature screen at the front-top-left side of the elevator at the news channel with and eerie silence, except for a few “plastics” next to me on both sides sipping on there steaming Star Bucks coffee.
I murmured just loud enough for everyone to hear, to crack their hypnotic state, “ 17,100 people are seriously injured in elevator accidents.” Almost instantaneously all smiles ceased, every body slumped, and all wide-eyed person’s attention were at me. After about a eight second delay the elevator dinged twice and opened after climbing one floor, and a few slumped out of the elevator looking down dreading another day of slow work with large figures money that they someday hope to own. Another couple dings passed and then the doors began to merge I muttered, “Aren’t the elevators in this building going under construction as well???” Now the front and some of the mid rows were just ignoring me, but I caught the attention of those around me.
“So… how do you like the elevator? I said to the average slender woman next to me. Not realizing that I asked her, she glanced a few times, just her eyes, no motion with her face or body. After repeating myself she answered, “well I tend to enjoy the rides but… the comments that you made earlier are a bit frightening.” When she spoke her lower jaw bobbed to the lower left and then back up again, like a horse eating hey. “I was just looking for a potential candidate to ask a few questions to, would you mind?” Narrowing her eyes she replied, “ I could spare five minutes or so.”
“Did you know that elevators originated in the early 19th century, but didn’t truly evolve and modernize until 1880?” Her attitude seemed to slight as she thought I was just another student doing typical student affairs. Before she could reply I brought up the fact that the elevator was surely pushing the maximum capacity with twelve or plus more people. From the center right side of the elevator a plump bald man, really short in stature, replied, “I have noticed that since I worked her,” chuckling, “but never really thought about it till you brought up the injury statistic!” a few more deep chuckles and smiles filled the crammed space.
“Would anyone go as far as to personify an elevator as a friend? I mean it takes you were you need to go, especially when your too tired to take the stairs, it even introduces you to new people.” The elevator atmosphere completely lightened as conversations sputtered back and forth between everyone in the elevator. The woman with the awkward jaw spoke up and said, “As a friend? I don’t know if I would go that far, but I do consider it to be a very appropriate invention.” Cocking my head back and adjusting my voice, “Who here has been in an elevator alone, and just did something that you wouldn’t normally do like sing to some music, start talking, dancing, anything out of the ordinary with in the past year?” Everyone agreed that at one point or time they had done something, and while some of the people in the front stepped off they continued the conversation with each other out of the elevator. “Wouldn’t you consider that a comfort zone, something that you’d have with a friend?” At different times I could hear, “I guess so, but I never thought of it like that,” from different parts of the elevator.
What was left of the crow had gotten off between the seventeenth and twenty-sixth floor. Just one guy and me remained in the elevator. But as his floor approached he turned and said, “I understand where you are coming from, but it is such a weird idea, and I will be sure to consider the idea the next time ride!”
Riding back down to the lobby I glanced around the elevator looking at all the fine details and craftsmanship put into it, each rivet, every lCD lighting the elevator and buttons, and the even tiny TV screen displaying the news with no sound, only in subtitles, all added up to a mechanized machine that could be treated as such, or as another friend considering the give and take relationship shared between the elevator and its riders.
1 comment:
I love how you put a twist on your essay. At first I didn't understand how what you were writing about had to do with I friend, but I think you are right. I don't know about you, but my car is my baby, I depend on her for everything, so I try to take good care of her. In reading your essay it opened my eyes to the fact that I do this to one thing that I depend on and not everything. We should think of an elevator as a friend, because we trust it with our lives. We can't even say that about most of our human friends. This essay made me have a greater appriciation for such things. Good post.
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