If I am stuck in an elevator that is about to fall, what do I do?

Question

Hypothetically speaking, if I were trapped in an elevator on the second floor, and it were about to fall, would it be safer to stand upright or to lay flat?

Wow! Lots of great responses. i wanted to ask this question because my girlfriend told me about how she was stuck in an elevator during a power outage.

i had heard about trying a perfectly timed jump, but somehow i think a person would end up braking there neck on the ceiling as it came slamming downward.

And realistically, who is able bodied enough and tall enough to climb out of the escape hatch? And really, do elevators even have these so-called hatches?

Answer 1

Put your head between your legs and kiss your butt goodbye!

Seriously, you could survive a two-story drop if you laid down. Your body will absorb the energy of the fall throughout your entire body. If you're standing, your legs will take the brunt of the fall, and you may never walk again.

Most importantly, protect your head. Wrap your arms around your head. If you have time, take off any clothes you're wearing and use them as a pillow/shock absorber. You don't want to damage your brain!

Answer 2

I think laying flat would be best. Standing upright you have more chance of your breaking bones. My brother is an elevator mechanic and I have asked him this before after watching a scary movie when the elevator cable snapped!...

You did say from the second floor so I think this is safer to lay flat... If it were much higher that would be a different story! The force of gravity would force you probably to the roof of the elevator.

Answer 3

Either way, you'll be accelerating just like the elevator (equivalence of motion relative to the ground; basically you'reboth accelerating at the same rate), and things dropped together tend to accelerate the same. You'll also hit the ground ther same. Theoretically, the laying down option distributed the fource over your entire body, but consider what would happen if you simply jumped the same distance. You'd accelerate the same, and hit the ground exactly the same.

I'd give you the advice that a paratrooper gave me, if you're landign on the ground after a jump you always want your legs together, not separate, also slightly bent to absorb the impact better. If you put several sticks together and try to snap them, they have less chance of breaking than several separate sticks (they reinforce each other).

So, I'd tend to say, stand up, put your feet together, legs together and bend your knees slightly, be sure to try to protect your head somehow to absorb impact (hands, arms, clothing, etc.). But remember, it's not the fall that kills you, it's the sudden stop at the end. And you don't want your legs to shatter to make sure they're flexed just slightly, and together so they absorb shock better. Be ready for a big jolt when you hit down. It'll feel like gravity just doubled or trippled in an instant. So, try not to get crushed by it.

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Or as my dad said: If you're gonna' fall, ya' might as well flap your arms on the way down and try to learn how to fly. *wink*

Answer 4

Neither as an elevator won't fall....ever.

An elevator needs 1 cable to hold it up and for it to its job. An elevator has 4, 6 or 8 cables as extra precaution. Even if you cut most of the cables all you need is 1.

And even if you cut all the cables some how, an elevator won't fall more than about 2 feet if sitting still before the automatic brakes kick in.

When an elevator is built, its shaft is built first in a building and the elevator actually rides next to main steel beams in the building. The elevator has clamping jaws that are just an inch off of these beams all of the time. If a sensor reads too much speed, as in free fall, these clamps grab the steel beams with such force it can shake an entire building.

Friend use to be a elevator mechanic and would take me into the shafts, show me it all, etc. Everything you see in the movies is just that....the movies.

The safest form of transportation in the world, even safer than walking alone is riding in an elevator.

Answer 5

Neither. You better pray it stops. I would guess standing would be the best. From the second story you could use your legs to absorb some of the shock. You know like jumping from a roof. Only problem is you won't know when you are going to hit the ground as the elevator is enclosed and you can't see.

Answer 6

Flip a quarter in the air and watch it float in the free fall. Also, some elevators have handrails at waist level, if you're really acrobatic climb on those in the corner, you'll absorb less of the impact. (Not really, but it's fun to think about).

This is all of course assuming the brakes on the elevator really don't work, which is pretty preposterous.

Answer 7

1. Elevators have 8 cables, each ONE being strong enough to hold you and all the passengers. If an elevator breaks, you will most likely be pulled upwards to the top floor.

2. If for some reason every cable DOES break and you fall, you will be caught by the mechanical brakes that don't rely on electricity.

3. If everything fails and you are the unluckiest person on earth, lay down with your arms and legs outstretched, it will disperse the force against the ground instead of concentrating it.

Answer 8

I'm glad you are only stuck on the second floor--wait! How many floors of basement are there?

First, I'd find the phone in the wall box and tell someone that I'm in trouble. They will have a preferred method on their emergency instructions list.

If no one answers, I think I will stand in a corner and hold onto the wall railing. If it were higher than that, I'd lay flat on the floor with my hands folded and under my head. If I survived then my hands will have cushioned my head. If I don't survive, I will be comfortable for a few seconds before discovering the value of my faith.

Answer 9

no one ever chooses sneak out the escape hatch in the ceiling. By the way a fall from the second floor is not THAT scary either way. I would also rather have crushed legs than a lacerated spleen.

Answer 10

I would guess standing upright in the corner to maximize the space to absorb the shock and minimize what is on the bottom. The jump idea is nice, but who could figure that out? Also, tuck your head.

Answer 11

I'd guess laying flat since that distributes the force of the impact over more of your body. Neither option though would probably result in an intact "you".

As for a third option, I saw on a "Mythbusters" show that timing your jump for the last, best second, does nothing for you. Don't bother with that.