Thursday, December 1, 2011

Going Up? Too bad for you...


First day back at work after annual leave is always a bit of a shock to the system even for a part timer like me.

It was made more interesting for me by the arrival of a new lift system.

Most of the floors in my building are only accessible by swiping your security card.
So previously, you'd get in the lift, swipe your card and press your floor.

Ahhhhh it sounds so simple when it's put like that.

The reality was, you'd swipe your card but it wouldn't register and those lift doors only stay open for so long so if you didn't have your arm out holding the door, god knows where you'd end up.
Particularly bad luck for those of us (me included) on the first floor if someone got in and started trying to swipe before you.

So when I saw the new lift system today I thought great! Problem solved!!!

Let me explain how this new "high tech" system works.
You push your floor number BEFORE you get in, swipe your card and the panel tells you which of the six lifts will take you there. 
Again, great in theory....
So I get there, push 1, swipe my card when asked and.... Nothing. Actually it wasn't nothing, it was some kind of "error" beep... after the third or fourth time I expected the security alarms to start going off.

Meanwhile people all around me are pushing their floor and being directed to the lift that will take them there. It all seemed to be working fine for them.

Now before you ask, there is NO option to walk up to the first floor from the ground level otherwise I'd gladly do that...

After six or ten attempts I just followed a girl into a lift, thinking I'd go to where she was going and then walk down to my floor.... You can imagine how strange it must have been when I follow her in then ask what floor she's going to...
"I'm going where you're going"
She told me she was going to the 11th....
Great


Who knew riding an elevator could cause so much frustration...

Later I found out my card hadn't been enabled yet because I'd been on leave when it was installed.
Hopefully it will work tomorrow... fingers doubly and triply crossed...