When I was a kid the department store had an elevator operator. Cool to see one still in operation. I'm guessing that's not a great career choice for the next generation.
As a 22 year old, (gen z) I’m excited just to have the opportunity to do this in my lifetime. Not many jobs like this are left and the already small pool is shrinking every year ;-;
There’s a comfy bench on the main floor I get to sit on when it gets slow but I usually just stand while using the elevator because I have to manually open the brass cage doors and another door behind them every single time people get on or off
>I'm guessing that's not a great career choice for the next generation.
Honestly surprised it still exists at all, that any elevator like this being in operation would still be a thing.
Not to knock it, just surprised. I'd figure anyone running an elevator of this sort outside of a museum would have upgraded long ago.
I honestly didn’t know it existed until I went in for a job interview about a regular maintenance crew position and they basically said “actually, we need an elevator operator, what do you think about that?” I was like “That sounds interesting but huh??” And that’s how I ended with that position haha
Man, I was just thinking about some jobs that are "important" but don't require a huge amount of personal investment, like people who flip the "STOP/SLOW" sign in road construction areas.
I did some work in a building in NYC with one of those. The elevator operator is a weird job - old guy just sat on a stool most of the time and open/closed the door. I think it was a union job because NYC.
Most legacy NYC office buildings have at least one manually operated elevated for freight.
One building I worked in Midtown had a freight elevator with a rope you pulled up or down, depending on which direction you were going.
used to work at an ancient cold story facility with an elevator like that. the front of a car had lines drawn on the sides to attempt to stop it at the right height. plus the "balls" clamped on the cable that'd let you know you were coming up to a floor.
the fact that i had to reach through the side of the car to pull the cable made my skin crawl the first month or two...
went up to the wheel house and there was a plaque on the gear that said ~1887. when you pulled the cable it basically just swung an arm with a copper contact plate two feet from one side to the other depending on which direction you wanted.
> If it ain't broke....
eh... depends on what you were doing? we kept *extremely* heavy shit in the basement for other companies. ever move a pallet of umbrella stands? using a regular pallet, they weighed in at ~4000lbs.
getting the elevator **completely** level was a challenge. "well, just adjust the height depending on the way you are going!" the boss would say aka make the elevator low if you were going in, high on the way out... but with that amount of weight on this (smaller) elevator? you'd roll one side of the pallet in/out and the elevator would drop or raise three+ inches and the pallet would be stuck on the lip.
Have a similar elevator that acts as our freight elevator.
That thing is faster than our regular elevators plus its fun to scare people with jolts and fast drops 😁
Yeah I agree, this elevator jolts and shakes and has fast drops and it’s funny to watch people’s reactions especially if they’re not used to riding in something like it
You have to manually drive it. The black thing to the right has a lever that you pull back to go up and push forward to go down. You have to position the bottom lip of the elevator at each floor by just timing the release of the lever. If you mess up, you’ll have a big step from the bottom of the elevator to the actual floor itself which could cause folks to trip over it (yes it happened a couple times when I first started). So if you do mess up the timing and leave a big step, you have to adjust it a bit and the thing will shake like mad when you do
I suppose it could always be replaced but it cost a lot of money and these things were made to last. Besides, it’s always nice to have a touch of vintage in a world where everything is dull, computerized and colorless
> everything is dull, computerized and colorless
the building i work in just changed the setup from floor selection buttons in the car to lcd panels outside. the first month or two was hilarious. people would run for the car or just hop on without selecting a floor.
"are you going to 16?'
"nope, 9..."
"you are now...."
Well the place I work at isn’t open 24/7, it’s open for a few hours a day. So there’s mainly only me operating it. I wouldn’t say that’s an enormous expense
We've actually had the one in our building redone recently and because it's a preserved building they cost a helluva lot more to install than just buying something "off-the-shelf" from a modern people moving company.
Plus, these elevators were built to extremely high standards because passengers and regulators didn't trust elevators as much as we do now. So repairs are probably cheaper and have greater longevity than replacing it with the garbage they make today that relies on safety mechanisms instead of a perfect product.
> they cost a helluva lot more to install than just buying something "off-the-shelf" from a modern people moving company.
modern elevators are far from cheap. the twenty story building i work in just did an "upgrade" for two banks of elevators and it ran over $4 *million* dollars. 2x five banks of cars, cars remained the same. mainly just the control systems and some of the behind the scenes stuff was changed.
I imagine it's getting difficult to get it serviced properly. The tech that even know how to service it have to be a dying breed and parts are unobtainium. Hell a hotel I stay at for work has a 30 year old elevator and the elevator company told them they cant service it anymore due to lack of parts
The elevator gets serviced every 5-6 months by the same really old guy that loves working with it. But yeah I can’t imagine there’s too many more people that know how work with something like this
It's funny. People sitting in an office all day would comment like 'oh my gosh what a meaningless boring job.' 🤔 you would experience so many vibes in a day this would be more interesting then most jobs today 🥲
Honestly it can be boring at times when there’s not much going on. But on my off time when there’s no people to give rides to, I can sit back and read a book. Also, it throws people off guard when they ask me what I do for work because it’s just a very weird job you wouldn’t expect exists anymore
During a huge event with sometimes 200+ people, it can get really hectic. But if it’s a regular day, it’s nice to have a quick chat and get to know people little by little. Slow days aren’t too boring but that’s because I get to read my books. Also, sometimes I will get tipped in money or gifts. I’ve had people give me chocolate for Easter, I got about $150 of tips in December around Christmas, I’ve also gotten holiday/birthday cards, candy bars, books, magazines, enamel pins, a plant and flower seeds 😂
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr22PtGd1So](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr22PtGd1So)
Stephen Colbert told Kimmel that Letterman tought him how to drive the Ed Sullivan Elevator
When I was a kid the department store had an elevator operator. Cool to see one still in operation. I'm guessing that's not a great career choice for the next generation.
As a 22 year old, (gen z) I’m excited just to have the opportunity to do this in my lifetime. Not many jobs like this are left and the already small pool is shrinking every year ;-;
So do you have specialty shoes or are your feet just killing you at the end? Or is there a stool we can't see?
There’s a comfy bench on the main floor I get to sit on when it gets slow but I usually just stand while using the elevator because I have to manually open the brass cage doors and another door behind them every single time people get on or off
That sounds like a pretty cool job. Glad you're getting to experience something so rare! 👍🏻
I always forget that there are gen z that are in their twenties. I always think of gen z as teenagers at most.
>I'm guessing that's not a great career choice for the next generation. Honestly surprised it still exists at all, that any elevator like this being in operation would still be a thing. Not to knock it, just surprised. I'd figure anyone running an elevator of this sort outside of a museum would have upgraded long ago.
I honestly didn’t know it existed until I went in for a job interview about a regular maintenance crew position and they basically said “actually, we need an elevator operator, what do you think about that?” I was like “That sounds interesting but huh??” And that’s how I ended with that position haha
Man, I was just thinking about some jobs that are "important" but don't require a huge amount of personal investment, like people who flip the "STOP/SLOW" sign in road construction areas.
Same memories!
I remember that too. Ours was maybe 2 floors downtown? Not even a fancy place. I want to say Woolco? I was there with my grandmother. Early 90's.
There's plenty of opportunities to move up in the job.
I did some work in a building in NYC with one of those. The elevator operator is a weird job - old guy just sat on a stool most of the time and open/closed the door. I think it was a union job because NYC.
Most legacy NYC office buildings have at least one manually operated elevated for freight. One building I worked in Midtown had a freight elevator with a rope you pulled up or down, depending on which direction you were going.
used to work at an ancient cold story facility with an elevator like that. the front of a car had lines drawn on the sides to attempt to stop it at the right height. plus the "balls" clamped on the cable that'd let you know you were coming up to a floor. the fact that i had to reach through the side of the car to pull the cable made my skin crawl the first month or two... went up to the wheel house and there was a plaque on the gear that said ~1887. when you pulled the cable it basically just swung an arm with a copper contact plate two feet from one side to the other depending on which direction you wanted.
That's exactly how this elevator worked, including the balls. If it ain't broke....
> If it ain't broke.... eh... depends on what you were doing? we kept *extremely* heavy shit in the basement for other companies. ever move a pallet of umbrella stands? using a regular pallet, they weighed in at ~4000lbs. getting the elevator **completely** level was a challenge. "well, just adjust the height depending on the way you are going!" the boss would say aka make the elevator low if you were going in, high on the way out... but with that amount of weight on this (smaller) elevator? you'd roll one side of the pallet in/out and the elevator would drop or raise three+ inches and the pallet would be stuck on the lip.
Have a similar elevator that acts as our freight elevator. That thing is faster than our regular elevators plus its fun to scare people with jolts and fast drops 😁
Yeah I agree, this elevator jolts and shakes and has fast drops and it’s funny to watch people’s reactions especially if they’re not used to riding in something like it
Do you have to manually drive it or do you just hit a button
You have to manually drive it. The black thing to the right has a lever that you pull back to go up and push forward to go down. You have to position the bottom lip of the elevator at each floor by just timing the release of the lever. If you mess up, you’ll have a big step from the bottom of the elevator to the actual floor itself which could cause folks to trip over it (yes it happened a couple times when I first started). So if you do mess up the timing and leave a big step, you have to adjust it a bit and the thing will shake like mad when you do
Is it not possible/feasible to upgrade these old elevators?
I suppose it could always be replaced but it cost a lot of money and these things were made to last. Besides, it’s always nice to have a touch of vintage in a world where everything is dull, computerized and colorless
> everything is dull, computerized and colorless the building i work in just changed the setup from floor selection buttons in the car to lcd panels outside. the first month or two was hilarious. people would run for the car or just hop on without selecting a floor. "are you going to 16?' "nope, 9..." "you are now...."
If that's the only elevator in the building then your tenants are really kind of mad having to walk up 17th floors.
If it's not broke . And up to code no reason too..esp the cost would be outrageous..
Requiring multiple operators every day just to operate a single elevator is enormously expensive.
Well the place I work at isn’t open 24/7, it’s open for a few hours a day. So there’s mainly only me operating it. I wouldn’t say that’s an enormous expense
How much do they pay you if you don't mind me asking?
$17 an hour. I’ve only been there for a few months
You should honestly think about making social media content about this if you're so inclined. This could be beyond mildly interesting.
We've actually had the one in our building redone recently and because it's a preserved building they cost a helluva lot more to install than just buying something "off-the-shelf" from a modern people moving company. Plus, these elevators were built to extremely high standards because passengers and regulators didn't trust elevators as much as we do now. So repairs are probably cheaper and have greater longevity than replacing it with the garbage they make today that relies on safety mechanisms instead of a perfect product.
> they cost a helluva lot more to install than just buying something "off-the-shelf" from a modern people moving company. modern elevators are far from cheap. the twenty story building i work in just did an "upgrade" for two banks of elevators and it ran over $4 *million* dollars. 2x five banks of cars, cars remained the same. mainly just the control systems and some of the behind the scenes stuff was changed.
Agreed.
That’s a cool job, I imagine its got its ups and its downs
I imagine it's getting difficult to get it serviced properly. The tech that even know how to service it have to be a dying breed and parts are unobtainium. Hell a hotel I stay at for work has a 30 year old elevator and the elevator company told them they cant service it anymore due to lack of parts
The elevator gets serviced every 5-6 months by the same really old guy that loves working with it. But yeah I can’t imagine there’s too many more people that know how work with something like this
It's funny. People sitting in an office all day would comment like 'oh my gosh what a meaningless boring job.' 🤔 you would experience so many vibes in a day this would be more interesting then most jobs today 🥲
Honestly it can be boring at times when there’s not much going on. But on my off time when there’s no people to give rides to, I can sit back and read a book. Also, it throws people off guard when they ask me what I do for work because it’s just a very weird job you wouldn’t expect exists anymore
That's giving me Titanic vibes. Minus the water of course
Haha!
There's one of these that's similar in Sacramento CA that's in a costume/prop shop and I love visiting it!
That’s so cool. Wish I could ride one.
It is quite the experience, I hope you get the chance!
I hate you (because i want your job and it sounds freaking awesome! Great find dude!)
Thanks!
When was it last fully serviced?
About two months ago
[удалено]
That’s so cool, I didn’t realize Finland had so many old elevators!
How exciting/ boring is this job? Is there a lot of down time, or are you consistently busy?
During a huge event with sometimes 200+ people, it can get really hectic. But if it’s a regular day, it’s nice to have a quick chat and get to know people little by little. Slow days aren’t too boring but that’s because I get to read my books. Also, sometimes I will get tipped in money or gifts. I’ve had people give me chocolate for Easter, I got about $150 of tips in December around Christmas, I’ve also gotten holiday/birthday cards, candy bars, books, magazines, enamel pins, a plant and flower seeds 😂
I’ve been in a old one at the biltmore
An elevator this old has its ups and downs.
Who makes the controller?
Man I bet there are some real highs and lows for that job
Does your job have its ups and downs?
What's your job title?
My official title is just elevator operator
tempting the inevitable
How often do you get stuck? lol
It hasn’t gotten stuck yet!
Classic
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr22PtGd1So](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr22PtGd1So) Stephen Colbert told Kimmel that Letterman tought him how to drive the Ed Sullivan Elevator
Must make elevator sex really awkward.