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should lifts/elavators be fitted with port holes?

(55 Posts)
infoman Sat 05-Jul-25 07:50:19

Had the misfortune of getting stuck in a lift with eight other persons,
I was not particularly worried but some of the occupants had a very concerned look on their faces,
I presume they could suffer from Claustrophobia.
What did not help is that there no port hole so you could see out and attract some ones attention,
the emergency button was pressed but it was not very pleasant experience, that you hear but not see any one with shouts of "help is on its way"

escaped Sat 05-Jul-25 08:08:30

I'm not a great lover of lifts. I've been in several glass , it makes no difference whether I can see out or not.
Surely you attract attention by pressing the alarm button?

Jaxjacky Sat 05-Jul-25 08:10:36

In a lift shaft you can probably only see brick walls.

LucyAnna5 Sat 05-Jul-25 08:11:00

Was it in Wetherspoons?

BlueBelle Sat 05-Jul-25 08:22:34

I d be a blithering wreck immediacy needing a wee, porthole or no porthole, you would only see a blank wall if you were stuck
I use lifts, but reluctantly, I never feel very comfortable until the door opens, when I was 12 a workman died in a lift accident a big hotel they were demolishing next door to my school it plummeted to the ground killing him maybe that had an effect on my growing mind

keepingquiet Sat 05-Jul-25 09:16:03

How long were you stuck there? I would have been much worse if I was alone- at least you had company and people to chat to.

It is a common study in drama school- to improvise being stuck in a lift with other people and working out a script!

LaCrepescule Sat 05-Jul-25 10:15:02

This is hilarious - what if you’re stuck between floors?

MickyT Sat 05-Jul-25 10:25:33

I'm sure some port holes would put everyone's mind at rest if the lift got stuck..... Not!!

Allira Sat 05-Jul-25 10:33:55

No, I'd rather not see out, especially if it started moving downwards ...

Allira Sat 05-Jul-25 10:35:31

We had one at college where you leapt in as it went up or down slowly. There was no door on the front 😯

fancythat Sat 05-Jul-25 10:36:15

I would not want to see bricks either.

Astitchintime Sat 05-Jul-25 10:45:55

You would only be able to attract someone’s attention if the lift got stuck at a floor - otherwise all you would see would be the life shaft! A more agreeable option might be a display screen featuring a calming landscape or similar which might help allay panic in anyone stuck in the lift.
A healthier alternative would be to use the stairs.

RosieandherMaw Sat 05-Jul-25 11:25:51

As everybody has said, between floors, all you would see is the brick walls of the lift shaft - hardly reassuring!
No, you’ll have to think of a better one. Maybe having Spoons on speed dial?

theworriedwell Sat 05-Jul-25 12:52:27

infoman

Had the misfortune of getting stuck in a lift with eight other persons,
I was not particularly worried but some of the occupants had a very concerned look on their faces,
I presume they could suffer from Claustrophobia.
What did not help is that there no port hole so you could see out and attract some ones attention,
the emergency button was pressed but it was not very pleasant experience, that you hear but not see any one with shouts of "help is on its way"

I got stuck in a lift when I was heavily pregnant. The person who looked most stressed was the police sergeant standing next to me. When we were eventually freed he said he was dreading delivering the baby.

JenniferEccles Sat 05-Jul-25 13:01:52

I’m not at all fond of lifts and much prefer to use the stairs.

It must be ghastly for people who live in high rise flats where, for those on the upper floors, the lift is essential.

There’s a very funny Specsavers ad where a delivery man struggles up many flights with a heavy parcel only to learn he’s in the wrong tower block!

Trisha99 Sat 05-Jul-25 14:30:07

Allira

We had one at college where you leapt in as it went up or down slowly. There was no door on the front 😯

Think that sort of lift is called a paternoster. There was one just inside the staff entrance at the Pantheon M&S ( the branch near Oxford Circus).
I used to hate having to go there for training and would always use the stairs rather than jump on and off that lift.

Taichinan Sat 05-Jul-25 14:52:05

I can think of nothing worse infoman. We were stuck in a cable car once over Singapore harbour on our way out to Santosa Island. It was during an electrical storm and power was cut to the cable cars as a safety measure. We could see out - and down!! I don't think I have ever been so frightened. So a porthole in a lift wouldn't make an awful lot of difference to the fear and feeling of isolation. At least in the lift you could hear people shouting that help was coming.

Allira Sat 05-Jul-25 15:25:40

Trisha99

Allira

We had one at college where you leapt in as it went up or down slowly. There was no door on the front 😯

Think that sort of lift is called a paternoster. There was one just inside the staff entrance at the Pantheon M&S ( the branch near Oxford Circus).
I used to hate having to go there for training and would always use the stairs rather than jump on and off that lift.

I don't think I worried about it at the time, being young, but wouldn't want to go in one now.

Allira Sat 05-Jul-25 15:27:14

Ps I never knew it was called a paternoster, thanks Trisha99

Is that because people recited the Lord's Prayer as they leapt in?

Allira Sat 05-Jul-25 15:28:06

Taichinan

I can think of nothing worse infoman. We were stuck in a cable car once over Singapore harbour on our way out to Santosa Island. It was during an electrical storm and power was cut to the cable cars as a safety measure. We could see out - and down!! I don't think I have ever been so frightened. So a porthole in a lift wouldn't make an awful lot of difference to the fear and feeling of isolation. At least in the lift you could hear people shouting that help was coming.

Wonderful view though 😀

JdotJ Sat 05-Jul-25 15:32:13

Allira

We had one at college where you leapt in as it went up or down slowly. There was no door on the front 😯

It's called a Paternoster- a continuously circulating lift - a friend of mine was at Leicester University in the early 1980s, they have/had one there. I went to visit her one weekend and had great fun jumping in and out.

Wonder if it's still there ?
Health & Safety would probably have a field day

M0nica Sat 05-Jul-25 16:36:04

I cannot see what difference it would make.

Grantanow Thu 10-Jul-25 09:23:51

Would that be a opening porthole?

M0nica Fri 11-Jul-25 08:23:15

All lifts have escape hatches of some kind. Usually in the roof. At least I always assume so, to get people out if the lift is stuck between floors and cannot be moved safely.

Grannybags Fri 11-Jul-25 08:52:19

Just reading this makes me feel claustrophobic! I always use the stairs

A port hole wouldn't help