Elevator Controls

A few days ago, on the way up to work, in the elevator, I spotted the control panel… with a door slightly ajar. Curious about what might be hidden from normal passengers, I decided to open it up a little.

Of course, the inside was tagged. Because, Chicago. But I noticed that there was some text, written by hand with a marker, that said “IN TO RUN.”

No idea what it’s for (maybe an outlet for cleaners to vacuum)? But it was pretty fascinating.

Higher up on the public controls, I saw a few metal labels for buttons that were clearly meant for maintenance. These labels were held in place by two screws on either side, and were clearly added in after the main button controls.

To me, it was a little hilarious that the “INSPECTION” label was crooked. And I’m just now noticing that one of the labels is missing a screw, which hardly inspires confidence.

I expect my ambulances to be safe, my surgery wards to be clean. And my elevators to be… precise? I guess that the last place I want to be reminded of the possibility of human error is an elevator.

But that might just be me, and my fear of heights.

Related:
Worse Than a Few Screws Loose
Mysterious Warning
Elevators, Like God, Make No Promises
All safe, gentlemen. All safe.