Giuliani Livid Over Bringing 9/11 Trials to NYC
FIT Students Busted For Drug Dealing Get Probation
Oreo The Dog Is Dead, Blame Game Is Not
House Cat Terrorizes Family In Dramatic Hostage Situation
Pregnant Woman And Two Men Shot In Clinton Hill Drive-By
Two elevators inside the Empire State Building stopped working last night when construction workers accidentally cut power lines. Over five hundred tourists were stranded on the observation deck while more than a dozen were stuck in an elevator near the 80th floor for over an hour. Two women were injured when, witnesses said, they had to jump off the stuck lifts about a foot to the floor. Both were taken to the hospital.
The tourists inside the elevator described a frightening scene of tears and panic attacks. Cell phone service was dead inside. One German couple tried to keep everybody calm by passing out chocolates. "I had some chocolate and I give all to people, but it's not so good," Jutta Siegers said.
Once power was restored, building officials offered the stranded passengers a refund and invited them back on Saturday. That didn't sound like the warmest invitation to some of the group. "When we came down nobody there say sorry to us" Siegers said.
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebook
"Two women were injured when, witnesses said, they had to jump off the stuck lifts about a foot to the floor."
A whole 12 inches?! Good lord. I hope they wont have to amputate.
"When we came down nobody there say sorry to us"
Wahhh, Sniff*. Boo Hoo. :'-(
Welcome to New York.
They were injured jumping a foot to the floor? That must be a mistake. Unless these people were only two feet tall?
Anyway, I've been to the Empire State Building and had to wait more than an hour just to get to the elevators! What's an hour more?
I'm sure it was 12". The problem is most Americans are completely out of shape/obese. I wouldn't be surprised if their ankles broke.
i don't quite think it was american ("out of shape/obese") tourists that were injured jumping an entire 12". I'm sure it was all the whiny, rude euro trash that has invaded NYC and expect us to worship the ground they walk on because there are here spending their euros. please. i can not wait for the US$ to increase again and keep all this trash in europe where they belong. thanks for spending your money here and keeping our limping economy going somewhat but get some manners and stop being such cry babies! welcome to new york.
What a nightmare. I'm sure no one here would be scared in an elevator on the 80th floor for an hour, you're all such tough New Yawkers! And so compassionate!
Where exactly did this 12" figure come from? It's not in the CBS story. The Post says a woman was hurt coming down five feet out of the elevator. Is this another case of Gothamist misreading stories then having that one false point picked up on by commenters all too eager to be snarky because it makes them feel better about themselves by berating "Eurotrash" or "fatties"?
And every other account says it was five elevators, not two. It couldn't have been fun. I've been stuck alone in an elevator alone before. Not scary, but it gets hot awfully fast. I'd hate to feel what it was like with eleven other bodies generating heat in there. And the tourists on the observation deck were not stranded. There's always the stairs. Very few people can't come down 85 flights. Up is a whole, different matter.
did anyone catch The Taking of Pelham 1,2,3 on chan55 last night?
@faprilano
Why all the animosity? The nice German couple was handing out chocolate to try to calm everyone. I think that was nice of them.
Just a refund? I would have held out for one of those ESB statues.