Entry Four: Death Box

Fact: Elevators kill. A report written by Michael McCann and Norman Zaleski for the Center for Construction Research and Training claims that according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 68 elevator-related deaths were reported between 1992-2003 among people who used them at work. The report also states that "(a)lmost all the fall deaths involved falls into elevator shafts, including 18 deaths where an elevator door opened and there was no elevator car. The 'caught in/between' and 'struck by' deaths often involved getting caught in the elevator door or between the elevator and door or shaft."

That's no good.

Nandesuka--!

Despite the grave statistics, I risked my life and got in an elevator this weekend. My friend Grace, her dog Sheeba and I took the elevator from the fifth floor to the ground floor in order to walk her Sheeba. When we descended, my weight remained the same since my mass and the force of gravity did not change, but the normal force acting on me decreased, so I felt lighter. Once we started moving at a constant velocity, the forces became equal once again and I felt normal. At the bottom of the elevator shaft, the normal force increased, so I felt heavier. Yeah, I think I got that right.

Sheeba.