15. Escape From a Stalled Elevator
You are alone in a modern electric elevator that has stopped between two floors. The ceiling escape hatch is locked from the outside, the emergency telephone is dead and you have confirmed that no one will even start looking for you for at least 48 hours. The lights are still on, so the car has power, but you must get out on your own.
You are wearing normal business clothes and have only the following items:
- a 16 oz (0.5 L) bottle of water
- a mobile phone (no reception)
- a bean burrito wrapped in aluminium foil
- a ball-point pen
- a pencil
- dress shoes with laces
- wool socks
- slacks, dress shirt, underwear, leather belt with metal buckle, wool jacket
- a wrist-watch
- a handful of loose papers
- a small pocket-knife (screw-driver tip on the blade)
- a packet of breath mints
- a plastic comb
Using nothing but these items and the elevator itself, describe a safe method to escape from the cab.
(For the purposes of the puzzle you may assume an ordinary centre-opening passenger elevator built to current safety codes.)
Submitted by tartle · Added 4 August 2012 · Updated 2 July 2026
Hint: The ceiling hatch is the strongest part of the car. Instead, think about how the elevator doors know when they are lined up with a landing.
Solution:
All modern elevators use a mechanical linkage that couples the car doors to the landing (hall) doors only when the car is within a few centimetres of a floor. That linkage – the car-door clutch – sits directly above the car doors and can be reached once the interior control panel is removed. The idea is therefore to open the car doors first, then manually release the hall-door interlock.
- Use the pocket-knife as a screwdriver to remove the two or four small screws that hold the push-button panel in place.
- Pull the panel a few centimetres forward; you will now have an opening large enough to get a hand and forearm inside the door header.
- Feel above the centre of the doorway for a spring-loaded metal paddle – the car-door clutch. Push it toward the centre of the car to disengage it.
- With the paddle held disengaged, slide the two car doors apart. Jam one dress shoe in the track so they cannot close or re-latch.
- The landing doors are now visible but still locked. Through the same opening locate the small hook or lever on the hall-door interlock. Slip the metal tongue of your belt (or the aluminium burrito foil twisted into a cord) around the lever and pull it up to release the lock.
- While holding the interlock open, slide the landing doors apart with your free hand. Once they begin to move they will run easily.
- Step out onto the floor level that is highest (usually the upper one), remove the shoe, and allow both sets of doors to close normally behind you.
You have escaped without damaging the equipment and without putting yourself in danger of a fall down the shaft.
Comments (6)
Wait 48 hours
is this something where you A: use everything to get out. or B: Discard almost everything so it's a trick? PS: With all those items in an elevator, you'd look really stupid!
There is electricity in the elevator... u've probably accidentally clicked the stop button... You just have to click the floor u want to get to now.
i've got papers but no tobaco, this isn't me you're describing. sorry
If I could identify a fire alarm, I might try to trip it by using the burrito wrapper and cell phone battery to create a spark and ignite some of the random papers in my pocket, holding them up to the smoke detector with the comb or pocket knife attempting to summon the fire department.
I might also attempt to pry open the elevator doors, using the pocket knife to jimmy the door open enough to use my fingers, then doing the same with the outer doors. Though the elevator is stuck between floors, you should be able to reach the door above or below.
Otherwise, I'll spend a couple days eating a burrito and some mints, drinking water, playing games on my cell phone, sleeping etc.
Wow, I don't know you can be silly enough to stuck in an elevator wwith electricity.
And with the things you have, I guess you are a girl and you planned to go camping today right? :)
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