The thing about elevators

is that sometimes they get stuck.  And if you have my kind of luck, they get stuck with you in it.  With a 2 year old.  And melting milk.  For a really loooong time.  Let me explain.

This is our elevator.  I use this elevator quite frequently.  Especially when unloading emergency hurricane supplies like 6 gallons and 2 cases of bottled water, rope, and a hack saw.  You know, just in case  the hurricane hits and we get trapped in our condo and have to chop our way out of the attic with a hacksaw and hope a boat floats by so we can lasso it in with our rope.  Just kidding about the rope and hacksaw, although it might be a good idea to have on hand in case of an emergency.  Like our first hurricane, Ida.  Right? 

Anyway, bottled water is very heavy so I thought to save some time and my back by just hopping a ride in the elevator with everything - including my 2 year old.  We were riding merrily up until the elevator stopped between floors.  No big deal, I thought. Just press the button 3 again and it will get moving.

Um, not exactly.  I pressed it over and over and over again until my finger started hurting.  And I tried pulling and pushing the little red button at the bottom.  No luck.

Now, I'm starting to get just a little nervous.  After all this is a tiny little elevator and I don't like closed in spaces.  And we're stuck between the second and third floors where I can't reach either doorknob.  And I'm scared of heights.  So the idea of being trapped in an elevator and then plummeting to the ground is just slightly upsetting to me.

But no reason to panic just yet,  I decided to just press the alarm button and see what happens.  BRRRRNNNG!  It was really loud.  Not a good idea with a 2 year old.

Now I'm really starting to get a little anxious.  Then I see this.

Instant relief.  All I had to do is pick up the phone and it should call the homeowner's association or watchman or someone who can get me out!

 

Do you see this!?!?  There's a phone in the elevator presumably for calling help when you get trapped and it's not hooked up to anything!!!  Wow.

Now I'm really starting to get freaked.  The elevator is shrinking by the second, we're still trapped between floors, pushing buttons doesn't work, the phone's attached just for decoration, no phone numbers can be found anywhere inside and there's no way to climb out the top.  Oh, and Grace is starting to freak, too. 

So I break down and call David.  His suggestion?  Dial 9-1-1.  Um, no.  Not when my sister is a dispatcher and would never let me live it down.  So I did the next best thing.  I start banging on the doors and yelling "Help!  Help!  We're stuck in the elevator!"  Grace chimed in and yelled "Help!  We stuck!  We stuck in ella-bay-tor!"  And guess what?  It worked.  A neighbor below us finally shut his door and the elevator started moving again.  Thank goodness. 

It's doubtful that we'll use the elevator again any time soon.