KEEPING YOUR GUARD UP WHEN STUFF GOES DOWN

BY MICHAEL D’ANGONA

Walking into a box, having the doors close behind you and traveling sometimes hundreds of feet or more suspended by cables, can invoke feelings of intense fear and anxiety. Add to that the possibility of the elevator stopping during mid-lift or going dark inside, or having to share your ride with people who appear to have malice written all over their faces. All these scenarios are very real possibilities and as such, disrupt the psyches of many individuals having to ride these tall-building transporters.

With concerns that range from natural disasters, such as earthquakes, tornadoes or hurricanes, to mechanical failures like system disruptions or blackouts throughout the city, to unsavory characters using the confined space to rob or do harm to others, the fears many people have are not without justification. In addition, the feeling of helplessness while confined within the cube-shaped structure can disrupt a person’s ability to stay sharp, think intelligently and make sensible decisions.

However, your time in one of these conveniences doesn’t have to be a tense and sweat-inducing 30 seconds or more of your daily routine. With some knowledge of elevator emergency scenarios, coupled with some basic self-defense tactics and, more important, situational awareness training, you can walk into the sometimes cramped and stuffy elevator with confidence and the mindset that you can handle nearly anything that may come your way.

A RECIPE OF PHOBIAS

There isn’t one specific phobia attached to the fear of elevators. Instead it’s a combination of three phobias: claustrophobia, agoraphobia and acrophobia, which respectively, is the fear of closed spaces, the fear of an unsafe place with no way to escape it and the fear of heights, no matter how far off the ground the person truly is. Each phobia alone can cause great distress for the sufferer. Add the three together and a person can go from fearful of the situation to a full-on panic attack.

Even with no other factors involved, such as mechanical issues or power outages, one or more of the aforementioned phobias can cause severe problems for the rider. Many times, the panic is so extreme that the person will circumvent the elevator and use the stairway, no matter how many flights are needed to reach their destination.