Gothamist: Woman Falls in Empty Public Housing Elevator Shaft

jt10000

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:15:46 -0500

"Even the doors that are manually opened have mechanical interlocks that prevent the door being opened without the cab being there." They're supposed to, but once for me they didn't. I'm not saying I believe or disbelieve this woman, but mechanical devices can fail. Rarely, if they are built right and regularly inspected. In the case of elevators, that failure has occurred - I've seen it.

danisaint

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 12:21:25 -0500

I agree with MT....how do you not notice that the elevator car is not there....I always look to see that it is there before I step forward....I don't know if this lady really did this on purpose or what, but someone should breatalyze and drug test her....now she will probably sue the city of New York and get a butt load of money for her 'pain and suffering' and then end up blowing all her money on crap.... I fell six feet once and I broke my foot...how do you fall 10-12 feet and not break one bone....interesting....

Snoopy

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 11:32:05 -0500

Even the doors that are manually opened have mechanical interlocks that prevent the door being opened without the cab being there. If she fell down ten to twelve feet as she says she did she would be more seriously injured. A friend of mine did that and had both ankles and several bones in his feet broken. No way would you would just get scratches and some bruises.

jt10000

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 11:30:58 -0500

My experience was also in one of those older elevators where you pull open the door. Though in an old townhouse/office building.

JacqueMehoff

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 11:02:54 -0500

this is one of those older elevator cabs where you have to open the door yourself.

jt10000

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:58:29 -0500

I once almost stepped into an elevator that wasn't there. It was on the first floor of building, with the elevator going one floor down. The door opened and I put a foot out and there was nothing there. Luckily I wasn't committed to the step and jerked backwards. It was terrifying and I wouldn't get into that elevator again for several months.

Billiamsburg

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:31:51 -0500

MT is on point because this was obviously staged. She wanted money. She only fell 10-12 feet. Just like the lightly scratched "B" on the McCain woman. It's always a conveniently un-dangerous, not-so-painful accident/attack.

Kojak

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:25:10 -0500

Stupid woman. Why doesn't she just go ahead and cross Queens Boulevard blindfolded?

JacqueMehoff

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:00:09 -0500

anything is possible, you could get electrocuted walking your doggie.

whitecastlerock

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 09:53:13 -0500

MT is right on point.

Wza

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 09:46:23 -0500

I agree with MT.

Politburo

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 09:46:07 -0500

And just to be clear, even if this person is stupid, that doesn't excuse any maintenance errors, etc.

wowthatsucks

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 09:42:09 -0500

People are too focused on their phones/ipods/blackberries to notice their surroundings. The folks falling down elevator shafts are probably the same ones walking into traffic figuring out which ipod playlist is best to get run down by a car with.

bagelman

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 09:38:37 -0500

seriously. what's next? somebody falling onto the tracks because they thought the train was there?

Politburo

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 09:37:50 -0500

MT: I was going to post a similar comment before I found the blurb in the NY1 writeup. She does mention turning around to grab a phone from a friend, which is plausible.. but I'm still unable to really picture it in my mind.

MT

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 09:23:48 -0500

I don't want to sound like a dick because obviously falling down an elevator shaft is a serious thing, but how exactly do you fall down an elevator shaft?!? I've been going over it in my mind and I just don't see how it's possible. Do people not look where they are going? I thought it was a natural thing to be polite and stand aside when an elevator comes so the people already on it can get off first. Wouldn't this give you plenty of time to see there is no actual elevator there? I just don't get it.

Jen Chung

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 09:14:52 -0500

Thanks, Politburo--I've added it.

Politburo

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 09:06:38 -0500

This was absent from your writeup: Sources close to the investigation remained suspicious Thursday and were exploring the possibility that the accident was intentionally created in order to file a false claim. Sources also cited witnesses who observed Joyce and her companion forcibly opening the elevator doors when the elevator was not present.