These old fashioned lifts without doors look like great fun!

Gripper Stebson · 26/12/10 - 11:58

I was told an old department store in my home town used to up untill the mid 70's, had these lifts without doors and which never stopped. People just used to have quickly jump in and out when using them. Unfortunately being so young at that time I don't remember them.

But am amazed to discover on Wikipedia that apparantly even in this health and safety era we live in today, that some of these old lifts are still used, and even some in England. Good news I first thought, I'll travel to whichever towns have them so I can have a go on them. The bad news however is that of the few that are still used, they are in places like old office blocks and universities which are NOT open to the general public! Bah!

Here's the Wikipedia page about them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paternoster

And here's one of numerous YouTube videos demonstrating what they're like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-jmVUyNoTg&feature=related

CXC3000 · 26/12/10 - 12:00

Wonder which cock-head invented that in the first place ? :mad: - if someone was to lose their life in one of them things, the inventor should be subject to the death penalty.

(seriously)

Glen · 26/12/10 - 12:01

CXC3000 wrote: »

Wonder which cock-head invented that in the first place ? :mad: - if someone was to lose their life in one of them things, the inventor should be subject to the death penalty.

(seriously)

Just. Go. Away.

4pounds64 · 26/12/10 - 12:03

They look creepy, you'd never escape Jason waiting on the next floor up.

Muggsy · 26/12/10 - 12:03

Yeah, I spent my 3 years at university riding up and down in them. Going over the top for the first time was a sort of rite of passage.

There are normally so many people milling around in a university that if you were to go to one with one of these lifts and just mingle, you could probably ride in one and nobody any the wiser.;)

CXC3000 · 26/12/10 - 12:03

Glen wrote: »

Just. Go. Away.

Ok; at least manslaughter.

Would you agree ?

solarflare · 26/12/10 - 12:04

CXC3000 wrote: »

Ok; at least manslaughter.

Would you agree ?

No nope no.

Muggsy · 26/12/10 - 12:05

CXC3000 wrote: »

Ok; at least manslaughter.

Would you agree ?

No. Dealing with minor everyday risks is part of real life.

Achtung! · 26/12/10 - 12:05

They used to have them where I worked. Rickety old wooden things, but they're pretty safe. You could stay in them and ride over the top, or through the basement. It used to be a joke that you would get a new employee, and block them in on the way down, jumping out at the last moment at ground floor so they had no time to exit and disappeared into the basement. You would jump in the next one and shake it as hard as you could, causing it to trip and stop, leaving the hapless noob waiting for rescue in the basement.

Toby Latimer · 26/12/10 - 12:08

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/gal_mangles_leg_in_hosp_elevator_dGPXUbiGpLMmh23y29DHAL

Henderson · 26/12/10 - 12:11

Muggsy wrote: »

Yeah, I spent my 3 years at university riding up and down in them. Going over the top for the first time was a sort of rite of passage.

There are normally so many people milling around in a university that if you were to go to one with one of these lifts and just mingle, you could probably ride in one and nobody any the wiser.;)

What happens when they "Go over the top"...?

Muggsy · 26/12/10 - 12:12

Henderson wrote: »

What happens when they "Go over the top"...?

You'll just have to ride in one and find out.

Henderson · 26/12/10 - 12:13

Muggsy wrote: »

You'll just have to ride in one and find out.

I dont know where they are!!

Go on, just tell me...

Achtung! · 26/12/10 - 12:16

Henderson wrote: »

What happens when they "Go over the top"...?

You turn upside down.

Just joking, you rattle along sideways in the dark for a few seconds to the smell of chain grease and motor oil, and start to go down again. Similar to the basement really.

Gripper Stebson · 26/12/10 - 12:16

Henderson wrote: »

I dont know where they are!!

Go on, just tell me...

There's a list on that Wikipedia page of where they are. Unfortunately none available to the general public in England. You'll have to go a little further afield to the continent to find any.

Henderson · 26/12/10 - 12:17

Achtung! wrote: »

You turn upside down.

Just joking, you rattle along sideways in the dark for a few seconds to the smell of chain grease and motor oil, and start to go down again. Similar to the basement really.

Cheers. I was hoping for the upside down thingy myself, that would be cool...

[Deleted User] · 26/12/10 - 12:22

Achtung! wrote: »

You turn upside down.

Just joking, you rattle along sideways in the dark for a few seconds to the smell of chain grease and motor oil, and start to go down again. Similar to the basement really.

Excellent, there's one in a sports shop near me that certainly still had that style of lift, albeit primary colours and zappy, five years ago. I never dared try going over the top, if you're just sideways I'll give it a go. Ha, first resolution made.

doom&gloom · 26/12/10 - 12:26

They had one in the Arts Tower at Sheff Uni, I was always scared of going into the dark bit at the top/bottom and then getting stuck because I'm a bit claustrophobic.

It was always packing in as well and you used to get stuck between floors, you needed to use it though because there were only a couple of lifts and too many stairs.

blueblade · 26/12/10 - 12:40

There used to be one at the old Leicester Polytechnic ~ James Went Building (now demolished)

There was a previous thread about paternosters which I remember contributing to. It's from 2007 and can be viewed here

CANDYANGEL · 26/12/10 - 12:40

I wonder what the bit between floors looked like. Would it be completely dark? I'd hate to get stuck in one :eek:

[Deleted User] · 26/12/10 - 12:46

Those are cool, it's like all the challenges in the Harry Potter games where you have to jump on blocks that are bobbing up and down or sideways. Except more real and less exciting.

Is there anyone CXC doesn't want to subject to the death penalty?

Glen · 26/12/10 - 12:49

CANDYANGEL wrote: »

I wonder what the bit between floors looked like. Would it be completely dark? I'd hate to get stuck in one :eek:

IIRC (it was ages since I was there), the one in a sports shop in Bern had lights (recessed in the wall) round the top and bottom. And there was loads of graffiti on the walls - either people who can write fast or got stuck.

doom&gloom · 26/12/10 - 13:02

The reason you shouldn't go along the top or bottom is if the paternoster suffers a breakdown, which is not that uncommon you might end up stuck and it could take a while to get you out, which according to the wikipedia entry in why the one at the Marconi/Ericsson building was closed down. No doubt these days you can be sued for emotional distress, the claustrophobia must be terrible.

Fred Splunge · 26/12/10 - 13:10

I've been in the Elliott Brothers one in Borehamwood. Didn't like it particularly, took some getting used to trying to get the in and out timings right.

And I went over the top!

Didn't know that that one had featured in a film though, so thanks for the extra info Wikipedia.

cnbcwatcher · 26/12/10 - 13:50

I'd never heard of these before and I think I would be a bit afraid of using one if I ever came across one! I'd rather use the stairs - it's safer and good exercise! But this thread has got me fascinated by these now.

[Deleted User] · 26/12/10 - 13:58

Glen wrote: »

IIRC (it was ages since I was there), the one in a sports shop in Bern had lights (recessed in the wall) round the top and bottom. And there was loads of graffiti on the walls - either people who can write fast or got stuck.

That's my one - can't imagine there are two in Bern. I'm still going to try it out in the new year - I'll take a pen with me.

Hey there!

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These old fashioned lifts without doors look like great fun!

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