> For future reference: do not try to escape from a malfunctioning elevator by yourself. The controller won't be locked out and the elevator can start moving without any notice. Use the emergency phone or button in the elevator and wait for a technician or the fire brigade to rescueue you.
I think this is very good advice for the US and western countries, where you can expect some technician/fire brigade to come and help. In the communist Eastern Europe of 3 decades ago, there were daily blackouts, and probably every single days a few hundred people got stuck in elevators because of the sudden loss of electricity. We all knew how to deal with the situation, it was part of life. A cable breaking was definitely unusual though. I never heard of it happening to anyone else.
You're wrong. Sorry, but The advice is not good anywhere. Any good system will be designed for flight or flight because, despite all else, humans are humans and this was not a situation anyone is trained to handle. Anyone.
A lift that is stuck misaligned with the floor is by definition in an error state. It's something that should never happen. Lift programmers are -- much like ordinary programmers -- not omniscient. The chance of an elevator running into a bug in the software during normal operation is basically zero. The chance of running into a bug in an error state is much much higher.
If you're lucky the lift will have detected something wrong and gone into lockdown itself. If you're unlucky it'll start moving with your body halfway through the doorway. It's not incredibly likely to go wrong but the price when it does is too high to risk it.
I think this is very good advice for the US and western countries, where you can expect some technician/fire brigade to come and help. In the communist Eastern Europe of 3 decades ago, there were daily blackouts, and probably every single days a few hundred people got stuck in elevators because of the sudden loss of electricity. We all knew how to deal with the situation, it was part of life. A cable breaking was definitely unusual though. I never heard of it happening to anyone else.