Who doesn’t love elevators?
I’m not so much going to tell you something that you don’t already know – that elevators are awesome. Instead, I will tell you that there are some interesting ramifications of the elevator that you probably never thought about.
The first elevator came onto the scene in 1857. Sure, lots of things have changed in the following 1.5 centuries. However, the elevator has greatly affected geography and the lives of the upper and serving class as well as other major things we’ve become accustomed to in our lives.
We all know cities to have skyscrapers. In fact, it’s fun to fly into a city you have never been to and see how the tall buildings stand out from the towns around them. I think Las Vegas is probably the most amazing to see as it comes straight out of the desert. But what if buildings could only go 5-7 stories high? What would this world be like then?
All else being the same as far as the general population and people needing to work, if we only had short buildings, it stands to reason that we would then have that many more buildings. Cities would be wide instead of high. New York City and Boston grow out and eventually meet and form one big city. That’s unfathomable if you are a Yankee or Red Sox fan.
Another interesting fact was that before elevators, the living quarters were flipped. It was the servants who lived on the higher floors and forced to walk up all those steps. The upper class stayed below where convenience ruled. Now everyone wants to live at the top to get the best views. You just need the most money to do so.
When we get on elevators now, all we think about is pressing all the buttons in a crowded elevator and jumping off. Just kidding!
The next time you get on an elevator, think of how the world would be different without them and share it with us.
To end this piece, I’ll leave you with this brain teasing scenario. It’s one of those 20 yes or no only answer quizzes but I’ll pose it anyway.
Everyday, a man goes to work where his office is, on the 10th floor. In the morning, he presses the button for floor 6, gets off and walks up 4 flights of stairs. When somebody else is taking the elevator, or when it is raining, he takes the elevator to the 10th floor directly. At the end of the day, he gets on the elevator and presses the button for the lobby and rides it all the way down. Why would he do that?
After you give it some thought, click here to get the answer. Did you figure it out?
