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How To Survive In A Trapped Elevator
Whether you call it a lift or an elevator, getting stuck in one can be a terrible ordeal. VideoJug gives you tips on surviving in a stuck lift, done in the tongue-in-cheek style of a Hollywood movie trailer.
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Step 1:
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Remain calm
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The key thing is not to panic. There are very few reported cases of people dying in stuck lifts, and modern lifts have sophisticated safety mechanisms that prevent them from plummeting even in the case of a power cut. It is very likely that the worst thing that will happen is that you'll have to wait a short while until the lift is working again. If you're in a lift that suddenly stops, try pushing a floor button again, or the Open Door button. If the lift still doesn't respond it's time to summon assistance.
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Step 2:
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Call for help
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Most modern lifts have an intercom or telephone which will connect you with lift maintenance staff so you can call for help. If there is no telephone, then there will most likely be an alarm button to call for help. Alternatively, if you have a mobile phone, you could use it to call the emergency services or call a friend to ask them to call the local fire service. If none of these options are available to you, shout loudly or bang on the door to attract the attention of someone outside. Once you have alerted the outside world to your plight you might have to wait a while to be rescued, especially if the lift maintenance staff have a long way to travel to reach you.
Never try to exit the lift through the roof hatch. This is extremely dangerous if the lift suddenly starts moving again.
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Step 3:
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Dealing with boredom
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Start planning as if you're going to be there for a very long time. Think about what you're going to do if you need to use the toilet. And think of ways that you can deal boredom. Hopefully you will have something with you to keep yourself occupied, such as a book or some kind of electronic device. If these options are available to you, you'll have to invent some other way of keeping yourself occupied.
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Step 4:
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Dealing with loneliness
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A long wait in a lift can be a very lonely time, and you might become desperate for a bit of company. You might start wondering what it would be like to be trapped with another person. If this is the case, your first priority should be to make sure that they don't panic, so do your best to keep them as calm as you can. Try to soothe their anxiety and keep their mind off the fact that they're trapped in a lift.
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