The Magic of VT

For the young and young at heart, elevators and escalators are more than just a mode of transportation.

Despite the major hit that brick-and-mortar retailers have taken from online retail giants, millions of shoppers will still soon venture out for some holiday shopping, if they haven’t already. The shopping season always triggers fond memories of my youth, as my brother and I were dressed up in button-down shirts, itchy sweater vests and pants that hadn’t fit properly since the previous holiday season. We then endured a grueling hour-long drive to the shopping mall, where we were force-marched past the toy stores, gumball machines and coin-operated rides to a JCPenney, Sears or Famous-Barr. To my mother, these stores meant deals and discounts, but to a child, they had but one redeeming factor: the escalator. How could the stairs move? Will I get sucked in? What’s more, to where did they disappear?

Even as a child, I knew that the escalator was an incredible feat of engineering. Shopping mall escalators were the first of many of my exposures to the magic of vertical transportation (VT). Having worked in the VT industry for a few years now, the first things I notice in buildings are the elevators and escalators. Like many of you, I always search to see who manufactured the equipment and try to determine if it is “one of ours.”

My interest in VT has also drawn my attention to the people riding the equipment. Upon my return from a recent trip, I hurriedly dragged my rolling suitcase across the airport and, as I approached a moving walk, found myself trapped behind a toddler who had monopolized the entire width of the walkway and had no intention of yielding their ground. I watched this child smiling from ear to ear as they looked at their parent keeping pace alongside the walkway. It was impossible for me to be annoyed by this minor delay, as I knew this child was experiencing the magic of VT. I couldn’t help but think, “I’ve been there, kid. Just steer clear of JCPenney!”

VT has allured passengers since the early days. Early elevators were akin to amusement park rides, as a lack of safety features made all but the bravest of passengers skeptical about riding them. Once Elisha Graves Otis developed safety features and famously displayed his patented equipment at the 1854 World’s Fair, elevators soon became a trusted and common mode of travel. But elevators have never completely lost their mystique. An elevator can turn even the most mundane building into an interesting experience. After all, in what other mode of transportation do the doors close, and then, almost instantly, one is transported to a completely different place? Throw in some lighted buttons, door chimes and the occasional stomach-sinking feeling on a fast elevator, and you have the recipe for a magical experience.

As a parent of four children, I have vivid memories of telling my children to not run as they raced to see who got to push the elevator call button at the doctor’s office. Fights continued into the elevator car as the floor was selected. Sadly, I have taken many an unnecessary ride to wrong floors as my little heathens excitedly pressed all the floor buttons. Who am I to repress their opportunity to experience the magic of VT?

While VT may be “magic,” I would be remiss if I did not remind everyone that elevators and escalators are not toys. I cannot stress enough the importance of adult supervision of children, especially on escalators. Teaching children to use the handrails, to not walk against the flow of escalators and moving walks and to keep hands and feet inside an elevator is an important responsibility of parents and the proper way to steward the magic of VT.

Admittedly, I still enjoy the guilty pleasure of the button lighting up when pressed and trying to guess which elevator in the bank will be the first to open. My wife, who is the same lunatic who once stated “a car is a car” when we last went vehicle shopping, feigns a general lack of interest in VT. When an elevator is shown in a movie or on television and I excitedly point out that it has two-speed, center-opening doors with car-riding lanterns in the jambs and vandal-resistant buttons, she rolls her eyes and says, “That’s nice, dear.” (I realize it’s all a show; she really does care, right?).

My wife, however, does not represent the public at large. In fact, as one of the many readers of ELEVATOR WORLD, there is a good chance you are just one of many elevator enthusiasts. It seems that the magic of VT has garnered quite a following. A simple search for elevators on YouTube provides an endless rabbit hole of results for those who are interested. Instagram users can also get their elevator fix by searching @elevatorfan.  For those willing to travel, Amesbury, Massachusetts, hosts one of the few brick-and-mortar elevator museums where one can witness the magic of VT throughout history. If one is unable to make the trek to Massachusetts, don’t fret, you may be able to experience the magic closer to home. As old warehouses and factories are being bought and repurposed for retail and residential use, many building owners are leaving the sometimes century-old elevator equipment in place as a display or mini museum piece. In many cases, it is more cost effective to leave the old equipment intact. And, as many elevator enthusiasts would agree, much of the turn-of-the-century equipment is quite beautiful, and, dare I say, magical?

As technology continues to evolve, so too, does the magic. All the major elevator companies continue to develop and improve destination dispatch, smart phone integration and digital technology that allows elevators to recognize passengers via Bluetooth, automatically call the closest car or pre-select the passenger’s floor based on past interaction. Perhaps it is the elevator’s persistent placement on the cutting edge of technology through the years that drives the magic. Whether it is stairs that move themselves, or the magic box that takes one to different places in an instant, the magic of VT has always existed. As manufacturers continue to develop new and amazing features, the magic will continue to evolve. The next time that you find yourself riding on an elevator or escalator, look around. I’ll bet you find someone who is enjoying the magic of VT. Or perhaps it is you hiding the smile when the button lights up and your stomach drops as the elevator rockets to your desired location.