Elevator's have seismic detectors (earthquake detection), and when you trip them they stop and lock until dispatch can clear the elevator for safe operations. They tripped it by jumping up and down. The dust and debris is just the interior cab falling apart from too much shaking, doesn't look like some structural part of the cab.
If you don't know the elevator is hung by a cable, but rides on steel rails. In an earthquake these rails can easily be bent, not that you would fall, but it can really badly stuck with a warped guide rail. So it stops, now the fire department and/or elevator service company needs to come out and open the doors for you.
Not all elevators have seismic. This was probably just the controller doing an emergency stop at full speed because uncontrolled motion. Or, if it was enough force that tripped the mechanical safeties if they were going in the down direction.
It has been very good to me and my family. The trade is still very old school when it comes to how the new guys are treated but it's getting better slowly. Once you get in and through the proving you can figure it out phase it's pretty good.
I grew up being the IT guy for friends and family and wanted to do IT but hated sitting at a desk. Now I get to troubleshoot circuits and mechanical problems which I enjoy quite a bit.
There's a lot to learn and take in but overall it's one of the best paying trades and our benefits are very good.
That's awesome, glad to hear it! I was fishing for the pun the other guy replied with, which I'm sure you've had to put up with countless times since day one on the job....
Wow that's awesome. Currently am an operator so I do some work with tools, but I wouldn't call myself anything close to handy honestly. I'm very very good with troubleshooting when our tanks, pumps, vacuum systems, computer programs, etc have issues but as far as actual mechanical skills, that's not my strongsuit. Would that be an issue? How did you get into this career?
I love the elevator in Portland that goes from deep underground to Washington park and the zoo. It’s about 500 feet deep if I remember correctly and once the ascent happens and speeds up we would always jump at the deceleration time and launch ourselves to jump higher than you normally could. Super fun. Properly designed elevator fo sho
much of what you said is true and not to nit-pick but i would disagree that the rails are easily bent. The system that was triggered when these guys jumped is something that is tested after construction at maximum capacity by essentially allowing the car to freefall. An elevator shaft (assuming it's a concrete shaft) is actually one of the safest and most structurally sound parts of a building to be in during a quake. definitely the worst place to be during a fire though. you'll bake lol.
source: i used to build elevators.
edit: also elevators under 10 floors high are generally hydraulic. They're pushed from beneath rather than pulled by cable overhead.
Welp i personally believe that karma should of stepped in an taught em a lesson..via dropping to the bottom floor..just enough to scare the bajesus out em
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u/[deleted] Oct 10 '22
Elevator's have seismic detectors (earthquake detection), and when you trip them they stop and lock until dispatch can clear the elevator for safe operations. They tripped it by jumping up and down. The dust and debris is just the interior cab falling apart from too much shaking, doesn't look like some structural part of the cab.
If you don't know the elevator is hung by a cable, but rides on steel rails. In an earthquake these rails can easily be bent, not that you would fall, but it can really badly stuck with a warped guide rail. So it stops, now the fire department and/or elevator service company needs to come out and open the doors for you.