Content

• Steps
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need

There are very few worse situations that you can imagine than being trapped in an elevator, in which the heart rate of those who are afraid of heights, closed spaces, or both, will increase. If you ever unfortunately find yourself stuck between floors (or are currently reading this inside a stuck elevator), here's everything you need to do to ensure you get out as soon as possible. What you need to keep in mind is that if you are not in a life-or-death situation, the best thing to do is get help and wait it out. Many of your attempts to get out may actually lead to greater danger. To learn how to get out of a stuck elevator as safely as possible, start at step 1.

Steps

1. 1 Keep calm. Once you realize that you are stuck, you may feel a natural urge to panic. However, you must convince yourself to brace yourself and stay as calm as possible. If you start to panic, your body will begin to feel the consequences, it will become harder for you to think clearly, and therefore, it will be more difficult for you to find the path to liberation.
   • Take a deep breath and relax your body. It is difficult for your brain to panic when your body is relaxed.
   • If you are not alone in the elevator, panic is likely to panic the people around you. And a few out-of-control people in the elevator won't keep you safe. Instead, do whatever you can to provide a calming effect on the people around you.
2. 2 Find a light source if not there. If the elevator is dark, you can shine a flashlight, cell phone, or PDA on yourself. Try your best not to use the device for long enough to drain the battery. The light will help you see the buttons and get a better idea of ​​the situation. If you are reading this without standing in the elevator, then check if your mobile phone has a special "flashlight" function. If so, it might come in handy - until it drains the battery!
   • It's also important to quickly understand how many people are stuck in the elevator with you.
3. 3 Press the call button. If it's dark, use a light source to find the call button. Then press the call button to contact a technician who will help you. This will alert the service personnel that there is a problem with the elevator. This is the quickest way to get help - much better and safer than trying to get out on your own.
4. 4 If you are not answered, try calling for help. If there is no answer to pressing the call button, check if your mobile phone is catching. If the phone does not pick up, call your local emergency number, such as 911 in the US, Canada, etc. 911 may work unofficially in other countries, but should not be relied on where it is not officially used. The EU has officially adopted the emergency number 112, so this number must be called first if you are in Europe.
   • If there is still no response, press the alarm button several times.
5. 5 Click the "open door" button. Sometimes this button can just get stuck and if you press it it will open the elevator. You would laugh, but you would be surprised at how many people call for help to get out of a stuck elevator, only to find out that they just had to press the "open the door" button again.
   • You can also try pressing the "close the door" button, which may have gotten stuck too.
   • You can also try pressing the button for the floor below where the elevator is currently resting.
6. 6 If you cannot call for help, try to get the attention of people outside the elevator. If you have already tried to press the call button or tried to call for help and nothing worked, then your next action should be to try to scream or call for help. You can try banging on the elevator door with shoes or other objects and yelling to get the attention of passers-by. Depending on the sound permeability of the door, a strong knock on the door with the key makes a loud sound throughout the elevator shaft. Yelling can help draw the attention of people outside the elevator to your situation, but you should also be aware that excessive yelling and yelling can lead to even more panic, so make sure you try to stay calm enough when you call for help.
7. 7 Wait it out. Unless you are in a life-or-death emergency, just wait it out. At its best, people will notice that the elevator is down for a few minutes and you will be free in no time. People often use the elevator and people in the building, especially the staff of that building, should quickly notice that it is not working. While screaming for help can help, if it doesn't work after a while, it's better to stop and wait than to use all your energy.
   • If you have successfully contacted the emergency services, remember that they will be on their way as quickly as possible; calls from stuck people are taken seriously and you will be released in thirty minutes or less.
   • While it can be difficult to make contact or start a conversation when you're trapped in an elevator with a group of strangers, just keep the conversation going. Talk about who you are, what you are doing, where you were going, how many children you have, or anything else to keep the conversation going. Silence is much more likely to cause people to panic or despair. Speak for yourself if necessary, but stick to light-hearted topics.
   • If you're on your own, waiting can be a little tricky, but try to keep yourself busy. If you have a magazine or book close at hand, consider yourself lucky. Do not waste your phone while playing games. Instead, try to think of simple things to calm yourself down, such as making a list of all the things you did today, or try to remember everything you had for dinner over the past week. Stay optimistic with all the things you look forward to in the coming weeks.
8. 8 If all else fails and you are in a dangerous situation, get out. If all else fails and you are in an extreme life-or-death emergency, do whatever you can to get off the elevator. Be careful when crawling through the elevator shaft. You risk getting an electric shock and crushing if the elevator starts moving again. Here are some things to keep in mind when trying to get out:
   • Pull or press the stop button to make sure the lift does not move while you are trying to crawl out.
   • Try to break open the elevator door. If you are level with the floor, you can pry open the doors and get out. Take a look around the elevator to see if there are any objects on the walls that will help you break open the door.
   • Look for a service hatch on the elevator roof. Try to open it and crawl out. Even if you get out through the hatch, there may still be no way out of the elevator shaft. But if you find yourself in a truly emergency, this may be your only chance.

Tips

• Keep your mobile phone with you.
• You don't have to panic or scare anyone else. Sit down and talk about interesting topics with people around you.
• You should always have a snack in your pocket or bag, this is just good advice for every day.
• Use lipstick, eyeliner, or a pencil or pen to play tic-tac-toe on your hand. Relax and try to take a nap.

Warnings

• It is generally safer to stay in the elevator, as you risk getting an electric shock and getting crushed while crawling through the elevator shaft. If you are not in an emergency, stay put.
• Do not smoke or use matches as an additional alarm may be triggered; in the worst case, this will completely shut off the elevator and leave you stuck there for a longer period.

What do you need

• Handheld electric torch or telephone with backlit screen.