Madness: Trapped in Elevator Car 30

[CptStern]

Nicholas White was a thirty-four-year-old production manager at Business Week. He was working late on a special assignment and wanted a cigarette. He told a colleague that he?d be right back and, leaving his jacket behind, headed downstairs. Thus commenced the longest smoke break of Nicholas White?s life, a harrowing experience that began at around eleven o?clock on a Friday night in October, 1999.



He occupied himself with thoughts of remaining calm and decided that he?d better not do anything drastic, because, whatever the malfunction, he thought it unwise to jostle the car. As the emergency bell rang and rang, he began to fear that it might somehow start a fire. Recently, there had been a small fire in the building, rendering the elevators unusable. He began hearing unlikely oscillations in the ringing: aural hallucinations. Before long, he began to contemplate death.

holy shit freaky story ..watch the video after you've read the story


http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2008/04/14/madness-trapped-in-elevator-car-30/

 

[Bad^Hat]

Ugh, I hate these kind of stories. Makes me sick with unease that something so life-altering could happen because of a simple mistake, or whatever it was. That the guards never once noticed him, though, is both incredible and disgusting. Really they're the ones who should be out of a job.

But damn, that video. Confined spaces drive me batty, I wouldn't have lasted an hour without clawing at the walls. D:

 

[jimbo118]

I just the watched the vid tbh but its crazy the security guards never noticed him unless there was like 1 guard watching over a tonne of cameras....or you know, fapping or something.

Meanwhile, White no longer has his job, which he’d held for fifteen years, and he’s lost all contact with his former colleagues. Now, he’s also lost his apartment, spent all of his money, and searched, mostly in vain, for paying work. White is currently unemployed

wow

 

[Deleted member 56031]

He occupied himself

:| :O

crazy stuff though

 

[Krynn72]

As bad as that was, it was pretty stupid of him to try and sue them, and thus ruin his own life. It was pretty obvious he didnt suffer any real damages beyond perhaps being afraid for 40 hours.

 

[AJ Rimmer]

As bad as that was, it was pretty stupid of him to try and sue them, and thus ruin his own life. It was pretty obvious he didnt suffer any real damages beyond perhaps being afraid for 40 hours.

Well, he should totally get some compensation, but suing for several million dollars is just greedy. He should've asked for a couple weeks extra vacation or something like that.

 

[CptStern]

a couple of weeks extra vacation? the guy hasnt been able to hold down a job since ..he should be suing based on what he could potentially earn for the rest of his life ..2 weeks vacation doesnt begin to cover it

 

[Bad^Hat]

I thought it was pretty common to sue for far more than you intended on getting?

Anyway, yeah, he did take it a bit too far I guess, but ****ed if I'd ever want to work there again. Or anywhere with an elevator. :|

 

[Krynn72]

a couple of weeks extra vacation? the guy hasnt been able to hold down a job since ..he should be suing based on what he could potentially earn for the rest of his life ..2 weeks vacation doesnt begin to cover it

He cant find paying work because he just stopped showing up to his job for eight weeks and sued his previous company for 25 million dollars. He cant get a job because hes a twat. The experience obviously didnt effect him much, since he remembered to go get his jacket from the office and then went out to a bar afterward, without ever going to a hospital or anything. Hes broke because he tried milking the event for 25 million dollars.

 

[Smoke]

Makes me glad I've decided to carry a bag of entertainment with me wherever I go.

 

[Krynn72]

Makes me glad I have a cell phone and dont live in the 90s.

 

[Smoke]

I am glad that you feel glad about this.

 

[Krynn72]

How do you feel about being glad about that?

 

[Smoke]

Oh, very glad.

 

[Atomic_Piggy]

Whoever was in charge of watching those cameras should be sacked.

If that had been me, I would have gone nuts.

 

[Tyguy]

i used to hate elevators, until i had to use one everyday

 

[CptStern]

He cant find paying work because he just stopped showing up to his job for eight weeks and sued his previous company for 25 million dollars. He cant get a job because hes a twat. The experience obviously didnt effect him much, since he remembered to go get his jacket from the office and then went out to a bar afterward, without ever going to a hospital or anything. Hes broke because he tried milking the event for 25 million dollars.

hospital? for what? you dont hgo to a hospital for psychiatric assessment ....lawyers dont collect fees till after a trial ..he stipulated he settled out of court for a much smaller sum ..probably the majority went to cover legal costs and the other to cover medical/life expenses

and he's hardly an idiot, he worked as a production manager for Business week ..he was probably paid a 6 figure salary, he wasnt trying to milk the system

he was trapped for 48 hours without anyone noticing, he could have died before he was discovered ..it's plain for anyone to see that he's in mental distress on the video ..really who would be hurt here of he had been given 14 milllion? you? me? the guy on the street? no, it's the property management company (in my dealings with property managementr companies they're usually scumbags) and the insurance company who should pay through the nose ...except they come with a team of lawyers who's job it is to bog down the case to the point where the client either gives up or runs out of cash ..insurance companies are vultures who are happy to take your money but are reluctant to give some of it back should you need


I recognise that the US has a serious issue with frivilous lawsuits ..from the video alone it's clear this isnt the case

 

[Krynn72]

hospital? for what? you dont hgo to a hospital for psychiatric assessment ....lawyers dont collect fees till after a trial ..he stipulated he settled out of court for a much smaller sum ..probably the majority went to cover legal costs and the other to cover medical/life expenses

He went without water or food for 2 days. He should have gone to the hospital. Instead, he went straight to a pub. It doesnt say anything about him going to a psychiatrist for an assessment either. You would think someone who underwent such duress as he claims to have, they would seek some sort of checkup before hanging out with friends at a bar.

and he's hardly an idiot, he worked as a production manager for Business week ..he was probably paid a 6 figure salary, he wasnt trying to milk the system

Firstly, I didnt call him an idiot, I called him a twat. Secondly, from that article its obvious he was trying to milk the system.

He got a lawyer, and came to believe that returning to work might signal a degree of mental fitness detrimental to his litigation.

he was trapped for 48 hours without anyone noticing, he could have died before he was discovered

I dont get why you think he didnt need to go to the hospital when you know that he couldve died.

..it's plain for anyone to see that he's in mental distress on the video

Its not so plain. It looks like he was bored for 41 hours. I didnt see him pulling his hair out, and we cant see if he broke down and started crying or any sort of sign of extreme mental distress that would warrant the company paying him 25 million dollars.

..really who would be hurt here of he had been given 14 milllion? you? me? the guy on the street? no, it's the property management company (in my dealings with property managementr companies they're usually scumbags) and the insurance company who should pay through the nose

Thats a terrible argument. He didnt deserve the money, and whether or not the property managers were scumbags has nothing to do with it.

 

[Smoke]

I sense Krynn is glad.

 

[Tyguy]

Also, being stuck like that may be unpleasant for some, but it may be disastrous for others. Lets assume you have someone who is claustrophobic in there and they experience two of the worst days of their life...does that not entitle them to a settlement?

 

[Smoke]

Oh for ****s sake. The guy went 2 days without food and water. Boo hoo potter. Give the tosser a glass of milk and a cheese toastie.

 

[Dadi]

Makes me glad I have a cell phone and dont live in the 90s.

perhaps it was in his jacket?

 

[Tyguy]

He went without water or food for 2 days. He should have gone to the hospital. Instead, he went straight to a pub. It doesnt say anything about him going to a psychiatrist for an assessment either. You would think someone who underwent such duress as he claims to have, they would seek some sort of checkup before hanging out with friends at a bar.

I dont get why you think he didnt need to go to the hospital when you know that he couldve died.

Usually when im thirsty and hugry, i drink....and eat. Is there a magical pill that fixes dehydration?

Its not so plain. It looks like he was bored for 41 hours.

Being stuck in an elevator that long is ridiculous. You cant say that someone involved in the building maintenance was not negligent. I dont see how you can take stuck in a small space without food or water for 2 days and say the worst that happened was he was bored.

Thats a terrible argument. He didnt deserve the money, and whether or not the property managers were scumbags has nothing to do with it.

So what if he was stuck for 4 days? Would he deserve it then? At what point does this guy deserve a little compensation, when he starts decomposing?

 

[Krynn72]

Also, being stuck like that may be unpleasant for some, but it may be disastrous for others. Lets assume you have someone who is claustrophobic in there and they experience two of the worst days of their life...does that not entitle them to a settlement?

I wouldnt have a problem with it if that were the case. But its obvious the guy didnt have any real problem with it besides being inconvenienced and bored. Possibly a bit hungry. I think all that he shouldve happened were the guards who were on duty shouldve been fired, the company pay for physical and mental evaluations, and then a compensation of a few thousand dollars. 25 million is ridiculous.

EDIT: You posted again while i was writing.

Usually when im thirsty and hugry, i drink....and eat. Is there a magical pill that fixes dehydration?

Im saying that, if he felt he was dehydrated or suffering from starvation then he would have gone to a hospital for a check up, not to a pub.

Being stuck in an elevator that long is ridiculous. You cant say that someone involved in the building maintenance was not negligent. I dont see how you can take stuck in a small space without food or water for 2 days and say the worst that happened was he was bored.

And Im not. I obviously stated he would be hungry and possibly dehydrated, but its apparent that he wasnt because he just hung out with friends at a bar afterward. Someone who is claiming to have suffered 25 million dollars worth of pain wouldnt have just hung out at a bar after his incident. He would have had check ups and gone to a psychiatrist.

So what if he was stuck for 4 days? Would he deserve it then? At what point does this guy deserve a little compensation, when he starts decomposing?

I said in this post that he deserved a little compensation. My point is that he got extremely ****ing greedy and demanded 25 million dollars. Thats a retarded amount of compensation for this incident which didnt even bother him too much.

 

[Raziaar]

Oh for ****s sake. The guy went 2 days without food and water. Boo hoo potter. Give the tosser a glass of milk and a cheese toastie.

You can survive a long time without food, but you will perish only a few days without any form of water.

 

[Smoke]

He could have drank piss.

 

[Deleted member 56031]

Good thing we didn't see that then ^_^

 

[Raziaar]

He could have drank piss.

That only makes you more dehydrated. Learn to survival!

 

[<RJMC>]

he should have sue the guards in care of the cameras

 

[The Monkey]

That video is so damn sad.

Damn.

 

[CptStern]

He went without water or food for 2 days. He should have gone to the hospital. Instead, he went straight to a pub. It doesnt say anything about him going to a psychiatrist for an assessment either. You would think someone who underwent such duress as he claims to have, they would seek some sort of checkup before hanging out with friends at a bar.

a check up for mental duress? ERs are not able to make mental assessments ..that only comes through multiple therapy sessions ..whether he went out drinking after the fact doesnt negate any long term effects ..in fact it's very plausible that none of the symptoms of long term duress manifested themselves the first day or the second or the first week for that matter ..you cant simply wave your arm and dismiss any claims of mental anguish. He could very well have had psychiatric evaluation ..and very fact that the company responsible agreed to a settlement speaks volumes about culpability ..they wouldnt pay out if they didnt think they stood to lose something

Firstly, I didnt call him an idiot, I called him a twat. Secondly, from that article its obvious he was trying to milk the system.

how so? not once did he file an appeal ..that would be indicative of someone who's trying to milk the system after recieving such a low settlement but he didnt

I dont get why you think he didnt need to go to the hospital when you know that he couldve died.

had he been there for another 48 hours he may have died of dehydration, a bad ticker or simply misadventure (trying to climb down elevator shaft) ..again you nor I have any way of determining the appropriateness of his case ..that's what the courts were for, and the evidence must have been complelling for the company to settle before going to trial

Its not so plain. It looks like he was bored for 41 hours. I didnt see him pulling his hair out, and we cant see if he broke down and started crying or any sort of sign of extreme mental distress that would warrant the company paying him 25 million dollars.

unless you have a phd in psychiatry you have no business judging either way as to his state of mind, especially from a single article/video ..the very fact the company paid out proves he suffered some ill effects

Thats a terrible argument. He didnt deserve the money, and whether or not the property managers were scumbags has nothing to do with it.

i never said them being scumbags proves he's owned the monies ..they themselves (the scumbags) proved he was owned compensation ....or they wouldnt have given him a dime

 

[Krynn72]

how so? not once did he file an appeal ..that would be indicative of someone who's trying to milk the system after recieving such a low settlement but he didnt

Probably because after 4 years he realized he wouldnt get anywhere if he did appeal. Thats not a good proof of intent, especially 4 years later. He said that even while he was in the elevator he was planning his lawsuit.

had he been there for another 48 hours he may have died of dehydration, a bad ticker or simply misadventure (trying to climb down elevator shaft) ..again you nor I have any way of determining the appropriateness of his case ..that's what the courts were for, and the evidence must have been complelling for the company to settle before going to trial

I dont get what you're trying to say with this, especially in the context of what you quoted from me. He obviously didnt stay there for another 48 hours, and he obviously didnt try climbing down the elevator shaft. My point in the part of my post you quoted was that he should have had a physical checkup to see if he was suffering from any dehydration or if he suffered any other physical problems resulting from the incident.

unless you have a phd in psychiatry you have no business judging either way as to his state of mind, especially from a single article/video ..the very fact the company paid out proves he suffered some ill effects

Same goes to you my friend! You said

it's plain for anyone to see that he's in mental distress on the video

So lets lets call it a draw on this point.

i never said them being scumbags proves he's owned the monies ..they themselves (the scumbags) proved he was owned compensation ....or they wouldnt have given him a dime

Yeah, they probably gave him what he deserved to get from the ordeal (ive stated already that I think he was deserving of SOME compensation, but not nearly in the amount he was after). It only took him 4 years to give up his retarded lawsuit.

 

[CptStern]

Probably because after 4 years he realized he wouldnt get anywhere if he did appeal. Thats not a good proof of intent, especially 4 years later. He said that even while he was in the elevator he was planning his lawsuit.

ya his "planning" probably sounded a little like this:

"I'm going to sue, for the love of god get me out of here!!! I cant breathe, I cant BREATHE, OH DEAR GOD WHY WONT ANYONE ANSWER!?!"

I dont get what you're trying to say with this, especially in the context of what you quoted from me. He obviously didnt stay there for another 48 hours, and he obviously didnt try climbing down the elevator shaft. My point in the part of my post you quoted was that he should have had a physical checkup to see if he was suffering from any dehydration or if he suffered any other physical problems resulting from the incident.

it's not like he was rescued by the parametics or the fire department and he clearly wasnt in a good state of mind

Same goes to you my friend! You said

I dont have to make an assessment; the company proved he had a case when they settled out of court

Yeah, they probably gave him what he deserved to get from the ordeal (ive stated already that I think he was deserving of SOME compensation, but not nearly in the amount he was after). It only took him 4 years to give up his retarded lawsuit.

he didnt give up, he settled ..giving up would be dismissing ..he was adament right to the end ..most likely he couldnt afford the up front payments to his lawyers ..and 4 years on a civil case isnt unheard of

and if the court can award this sentence for that particular case he could have won more ..he chose not to take it to court ..that says something about not wanting to milk the system

 

[Dodo]

i never saw him try and kick out the wall or brake open the ceiling : /
id utterly destroy the inside of that elevator ! what a puss

-dodo

edit: sue the guards ? kill um !!

 

[CptStern]

and another person who didnt read the article (or even the OP) ..really is it that hard to read a single page?

He occupied himself with thoughts of remaining calm and decided that he?d better not do anything drastic, because, whatever the malfunction, he thought it unwise to jostle the car.

 

[-Psy-]

Cpt.Stern quote fest here. Dammit. We need tags back.

 

[Tyguy]

hah, ya...lets destroy the only thing thats between you and a looooong drop

 

[Krynn72]

ya his "planning" probably sounded a little like this:

"I'm going to sue, for the love of god get me out of here!!! I cant breathe, I cant BREATHE, OH DEAR GOD WHY WONT ANYONE ANSWER!?!"

More like "Damn this is boring! Im going to sue them for inconveniencing me!".

Anger and vindictiveness took root. He began to think, They, whoever they were, shouldn?t be able to get away with this, that he deserved some compensation for the ordeal. He cast about for blame. He wondered where his colleague was, why she hadn?t been alarmed enough by his failure to return, jacketless, from smoking a cigarette to call security. ?Whose fault is this?? he wondered. ?Who?s going to pay?? He decided that there was no way he was going to work the following week

Doesnt sound like the instantly dismissed threat thrown in with cries for help to me that you make it sound like. Even while he was inside the elevator car he was thinking about getting some monetary compensation for it.

it's not like he was rescued by the parametics or the fire department and he clearly wasnt in a good state of mind

How is it clear he wasnt in a good state of mind? He talked to the guards, remembered to grab his jacket before he left, and went to a bar for ****s sake.

I dont have to make an assessment; the company proved he had a case when they settled out of court

Yes, because theres no other explanation as to why a company would settle rather than get brought to court. It definately couldnt be that they didnt want to pay the expenses of lawyers or drag this on longer at their own cost, nor could it have been any of numerous other reasons why a company would avoid going to court.

he didnt give up, he settled ..giving up would be dismissing ..he was adament right to the end ..most likely he couldnt afford the up front payments to his lawyers ..and 4 years on a civil case isnt unheard of

Adamant till the end? He barely got 6 figures, when he was going after 25 million. Sounds like he gave up and settled on what the company wanted to give him.

and if the court can award this sentence for that particular case he could have won more ..he chose not to take it to court ..that says something about not wanting to milk the system

A few stupid rulings by a few stupid courts isnt representative of the entire judicial system. I doubt he would have gotten anywhere near 1 million dollars if he took it to court, and he would have lost a lot more money in lawyer fees. Not to mention he was already broke from not having a job for 4 years. I think there are a lot more reasons why he would want to settle than the company would.

 

[Slug Advisor]

Sigh. Damnit Krynn. And damnit Stern. This whole argument is based of you assuming different things. MAYBE Krynn's right and the guy tried to abuse his situation because he's just such a damn greedy basterd, or MAYBE he was in such distress that he ONLY went to get his jacket before going to the pub and getting drunk, to forget his misadventure. We don't know.

 

[Solaris]

How is it remotely possible he didn't suffer high mental angish from that?

I bet he was ****ing terrified. I would be.