lifts

Every now and then, it is really worth the time it takes to ask someone how work is going, and what they have been up to lately. Take for the instance the case where the response was, "I did some research yesterday at work". This sounds like a typical thing someone might do at work. Research can be used for any number of things and ranges from "cool!, give me all of the details", to "ho hum, really must go now".

When, however, the person you are taking to is 'a story waiting to happen', you may look at them with suspicion, waiting for their latest adventure, unless of course, you are an innocent, taken in by the obvious sincerity of their face.

In one particular case, the 'research' in question was to see how long it would take for the maintenance guys to arrive if by chance a person just 'happened' to get caught in the lift. This, translates to "how much time to I have in the lift if I want to a) get out of some boring meeting, or b) want to do rude things to someone some day?".

Once you had pondered this question, could you just leave it? No. It is obvious that you would need to get out there and find the answer. There is nothing worse than 'not knowing'. Really. If you don't try and find the answer, there may be sleepless nights of torment. And who wants to look old before their time - wrinkles and bags attack the eyes if you don't get enough sleep for goodness sake.

Our brave scientist got into the lift, assured she was on her own and 'accidentally' pushed the emergency stop button. The lift stopped. She twiddled their thumbs for a bit. After two minutes it automatically restarted. Bugger. (Her first thought was lucky that she did not get in the lift with the intention of spending, 'quality' time with someone else because they would have been caught out. For sure.)

A true scientist does not take the results of one test as the conclusive answer. So does our friend give up? Oh No. Next time, she is determined to hit the emergency stop button *between* floors. It stops. Two minutes go by... three... no restart. She picks up the lift phone, calls maintenance who assure her that she will be rescued in about 25 minutes. She then calls her work associate from her mobile - "Stuck in lift. Maintenance said 25 minutes. Won't be able to make meeting. Sorry." Yes. Really sorry. What does she do with the free time suddenly on her hands? Sits cross-legged on the floor of the lift, analyses her mobile phone, discovers new features and games - I mean, what else is there to do? Aerobics maybe.

Despite the obvious success of our budding scientist's 'research' she is disappointed that she did not prepare better and bring at least a magazine... and perhaps some antipasto. Imagine... lift doors open, and rather than finding a traumatised person, you find our friend, sitting cross legged with a tea towel spread out nibbling on antipasto and reading a magazine, she just 'happened' to have with her.

N-E-way... when she got out of the lift, after her time out from the world, she had co-workers clustered around her who were worried about her state of mind. They were definitely more stressed by the situation than our scientist was. Though, they were not aware that her being locked in the lift was the result of planning rather than fate. Perhaps, just as well. Their sympathy may have turned into righteous indignation. We all know that great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. Einstein said so.

She reassured her colleagues that she was fine in a very calm and unruffled manner (they probably think that she was unusually brave). Now if she'd been on the ball, she could have wobbled her lip, looked totally stressed and... Perhaps not.