I'm fairly certain that the A17.1 2004 Code doesn't prohibit me from talking about this, so I will continue.
.... watched a movie the other night and thought of you..... hey, how easy is it to crack open the top hatch of an elevator and climb up there?.... it seems like everyone in Hollywood is hiding away up on top of elevators..... what gives?....... I suspect that there is some kind of lock..... can you shed some light, or do I have to worry my life away every time that I take an elevator that some Hannibal Lector might be crouching up on top of my ride as I slide down to the next floor?.....
That was a comment by my good friend Eric left in the middle of December. I respond Thusly:
Yes it's true... All elevators have an escape hatch through the top of them. Yes it's true! There's a hole that you can get out of if the damned thing stops!
Unfortunately, you cannot reach it. It is concealed by the drop ceiling that's installed in every conveyance. Even if you are 7+ feet tall (and you can find it) you can't get through it... Because it's locked from the outside.
Yessir, It's possible for the "Mask-Clad Evil Cannibal" to get to you from the cart-top, but if he isn't an "Elevator Man" already, it ain't gonna happen.
These, "escape hatches" are locked from the outside... With "Deadbolt" locks.
The elevator is designed so that if you are "trapped" inside it, then you cannot escape it without outside assistance. This is to insure that anyone who is ignorant of how an elevator works (roughly... everyone... by design) is unable to release themselves from the cab. Stopping them from falling to their death, or being crushed into the "Overhead" by their Ignorance of how an elevator works.
Even a little-bitty Fucker like " Sir Anthony Hopkins" couldn't get out of an elevator.
For crying out loud... He could hurt himself!!!!
So... Jennifer was telling me the tale of her last couple of days (I was in Kentucky, Adjusting a couple of conveyances) and it was a complete nightmare for her. She failed to follow the adage "Never discuss Politics or Religion at work", and allowed that she was a Republican/Conservative by responding to a couple of her Coworker's conversation. The general gist of their palaver was "I hope there's a Clinton/Obama Pres. & V.P. and I don't care which is which." The response was "I'll either kill myself, or them!" (spoken tongue in cheek, of course.) The rejoinder included: racial slurs/generalities (She's White, they're Black), general impoliteness, office gossip, office gossip while they should be doing their job, and general laziness all around. All the while, Jenny has been doing her job to the best of her ability. Jennifer works in a Service Organization that answers phones and schedules rides for folks who are unable to get themselves to the Doctor. A "Tater-Toter scheduler", if you will.
I've done a similar type of job for several years. I was miserable.
Now, I build things. I work long hours, I do hard physical labor, and I still program computers. (Not pretty interfaces with a lot of gee-gaw's, just a bunch of archaic things that work... All the time... Every Time.") I'm happier for it. at the end of the day, I can look at something I've built, and be proud. I can talk to everyone that's not Mexican (and some who are) about my political leaning's, and not offend them or get offended.
If you are someone who Showers In The Morning, aka: I've been at this for thirteen hours, and haven't broken a sweat. I'll call you a Liberal.
If you are someone who, arrives at the job... can taste his work on his lunch sandwich, and can continue the job... Showers At Night (to keep from soiling the sheets he sleeps upon) and I can call you a Conservative.
There's work and then there's WORK. If you haven't broken a sweat by the time you've left your cube... Then you ain't workin'. If you have, you're Workin'.
I don't care who you are... If you only Shower in the Morning (S.I.T.M.) then you ain't Working... You're just doing a job. If you clean yourself... morning and night... you might be a person with O.C.D.
If you shower in the evening... then you do productive work, don't care how you look when you're doing it, and have some sense. It's you folks who we need to vote.
Otherwise, the "tools" Win.