[FullClip]

Got off work Friday night a little earlier than normal, drive home was smooth and found a great parking spot. Life was good.


UNTIL...I got in the elevator and pushed the button for the 6th floor. The cab went up about 6 inches and stopped. I'm trapped like a rat...can't get the door open. This is a circa 1930 elevator....real small cab and funky steel outer doors and swinging wooden inner doors.

Door lock with cover on:



Luckily a neighbor who could speak a little English heard me knocking and came to help. He couldn't get the door open from the outside, but called the emergency reapair number. (posted on the outside door of course) He told me that in 1/2 an hour somebody would be around to get me out.
Since I had no where to go, I made a couple phone calls on my cell while I waited.

Sure enough in a while a guy comes...we've only got a little peep hole to communicate through and he only speaks Russian..and I don't know a word of it. Luckily another neighbor, an older man came upon the scene and could speak a little English, so tried translating the instructions.
I had to pull the back off the lock, and depress two pins you can see in the bottom right corner of the lock to spring the door open. Luckily I had my Leatherman in my computer bag and despite the old mix of bolts and screws holding the cover on I got the lid off and with the needle nose pliers I could press the pins at the same time and turn the latch. After about an hour and a half in the elevator, I was FREE.

Inside the lock:


I'm wondering what would have happened if I didn't have amy tools, or if had been a kid or older woman who had zero mechanical ability had been trapped inside.

Sunday afternoon here now, and no sign of any reapir being made to the elevator, so hoofing it up 6 floors every day (120 steps)

[Green Dragoon]

great story. And you should be commended for being resourceful and prepared.

[Resqu2]

I was wondering about the no tool situation either, guess 911 would of been the next call then. That would of really freaked some people out being stuck like that. What if it moved a half of a floor then got stuck, think about that when they do fix it.

[lethal tupperwa]

I would have called the fire dept

they are pretty good about opening elevators.

[FullClip]

Originally Posted by Green Dragoon

great story. And you should be commended for being resourceful and prepared.

I just left a nice bottle of wine and a thank you note in front of the door of my neighbor who did the translating. Without his help, I would have been stuck in there a lot longer.

[FullClip]

Originally Posted by lethal tupperwa

I would have called the fire dept

they are pretty good about opening elevators.

Doubt that it would have done much good....I speak English, Spanish and a little Italian. Here in Riga Latvian or Russian are the local lingos. I wouldn't have even been able to tell the cops or fire department where I was. My English speaking neighbors were the ones who saved my butt.

[KennyFSU]

So that elevator is up-to-date on inspections?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[sheriff733]

I hate to say it, but it's Bush's fault. Not only that, but open carry would have prevented all of this.

[FullClip]

Originally Posted by KennyFSU

So that elevator is up-to-date on inspections?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This is in Riga, Latvia. Don't think the elevator inspections of "Classic Pre-War" apartment buildings is a real priority. It's a rickety old thing, just this side of an amusement park ride.

[okie]

I'm thankful you made it out my friend

[Bruce M]

Good you made it out. I would bet that elevator hasn't been inspected since the end of WWII.

[snubfan]

Sucks for you, Commie!






















Joking of course! What do you do over there?(I assume it's work related but I've heard of guys chasing tail into some off the wall corners of the world!)

[FullClip]

Originally Posted by snubfan

Sucks for you, Commie!

oking of course! What do you do over there?(I assume it's work related but I've heard of guys chasing tail into some off the wall corners of the world!)

Yeah....I'm working putting in a power plant on the outskirts of town to help heat and power the place. No a tourist, and only chasing tail I do now is pretty much limited to a slow trot.

But, if I was 30 years younger, it would be a different story for sure.

The young ladies here are lovely, if you are into the tall, slender blue-eyed blonde with perfect complexion type deal. Well educated and friendly. Think it's a nice place, but for me, it's just work and sleep, no time for sight seeing. There is much more modern sections of town, but I'm living in a "classic" part...actually nice and you can't judge the inside of the apartments with the outside appearance. Lot of neglect to stuff during the Soviet era, and the Latvians are still working on getting things up to date....but it's a long row to hoe.



















J

[Bill Keith]

An electromechanical device. Seems like all the stuff here in the states is digital. Glad you were prepared and OK.

[Cybercowboy]

That's just a bunch of corrosion holding a little metal together!

[Sgt127]

That lockwork needs to be incorporated into your new Steam Punk costume.

[FullClip]

Originally Posted by Sgt127

That lockwork needs to be incorporated into your new Steam Punk costume.

Yeah...they sure don't build them like this anymore. But then again, this thing has been going up and down for about 80 years. Hard to tell how many vertical miles it has on it. Pretty simple interlock deal with the doors, but I was thinking the upper two bolts were the culprit, and didn't even know about the lower two that come out of the side to keep the door locked between floors.
Wonder how old that grease is inside the lock? And as normal, the Philips head screw and one bolt came out real easy...the other bolt was a real PITA and with the Leatherman pliers, the head was pretty boogered up by the time I got it out, but at least it came out.

[happy seal]

Should have used your Laser Watch to cut the pins and bolts - 5 minutes and your free!

Did you pee in the elevator or hold it? I woulda had to go in that time frame!

[Cybercowboy]

The real question is, why don't these things happen just after you made a liquor store run and just as the doors were closing, a petite hand stops the doors and two beautiful Swedish swimsuit models thank you in broken English "Thank you for to save elevator for we!"

I suspect that Leatherman would have stayed in that backpack a few hours longer!

[FullClip]

Originally Posted by happy seal

Did you pee in the elevator or hold it? I woulda had to go in that time frame!

Luckily I pee'd on company time before I left site.

Sometimes I hit a train crossing on the drive home, so always take care of buisness before heading home. I just wanted a beer and could taste it when I hit the elevator. Sucked having to put everything on hold waiting in the telephone booth sized box.

[Riverkilt]

Great adventure story. You handled it well. A few years ago the developmentaly disabled cleaning boy at work got stuck in the elevator. Course they called the Fire Dept. Turns out it took a special key to fix things. Only no one had the key! Not our maintenance guys, not the Fire Dept guys. Poor kid was stuck for about an hour and not doing well with it. We called him an "elevator astronaut" and he seemed to like that. Fire guys finally went mechanical and pryed the door open with muscle and some long heavy pry bars. No one ever figured what caused the digital brains (beach sand and low bid) to freak out.

[Rooster Rugburn]

Who is Amy Tools, and how did she help? At first glance, I thought you were alone on the elevator.

[Woofie]

I don't see the problem here. According to Huaco Kid elevators turn into stairs when they break down.

[Detectorist]

Submit your story to the Leatherman company, maybe they can use it for an ad and you might get some dinero out of it, Worth a try.

[Dennis in MA]

In Russia, Communist elevators take a ride on you!