We have an elevator.

Or for those of you using the "Queen's English",  a lift.
Seems that if we get the slightest bit of rain on the "torrential" side of the scale,  the stupid elevator decides to pack it in.  Not sure if there's water sitting somewhere in some sump or other,  but that's what I gathered from the note on the other non working elevator over on the other side of the building.
 The slightly better news was that we had already hoisted all our guests up on the Thursday night,  and the rains didn't come until the wee hours of Saturday.
 Now,  I don't mind taking the stairs a couple times a day for a little exercise if I so choose.  If I'm lugging groceries or beer however,  I may very well choose not to climb six flights.
That's also not too terribly annoying if this condition only lasts for a day or so,  which was the case the last time the thing crapped out back in May when we had the flood.
 It's now Thursday,  it was not working as of yesterday.  First of all,  apparently there were some 400 Otis elevators that crapped out throughout the city.    The elevator to the parking garage works fine.   It's stinky,  but it works fine.   It's a Thyssen.
The elevator in the subway,  though only slightly less stinky,  was also working fine.  They use Schindler.
 Do you see where I'm going with this?   You may recall that I had half jokingly referred to the thing as a "Todesfalle"  (death trap)  but apparently it's also a huge pile of poo as well.

Now,  I know it had nothing to do with it,  but by yesterday I had had enough,  and finally phoned the knobs who supposedly run the place and asked a couple questions.  Questions like,  "Why did we rent a place from you with the understanding that there would be an elevator,  when in fact there isn't one?"  And, "Why do we pay extra every month for the privilege of now having to climb the stairs?"  
 There were a couple moments of silence on the other end of the phone.   All that was offered was that there was some part or other that had to be ordered.   Seems some company called "Kone"  looks after that.   (I'm not putting in a link to their site,  since their website sucks just as bad as their service)

 Let's just stop and reflect for a moment,  shall we?   If I'm in the business of say,  oh I don't know,  Facilities Services?  (um,  note title of blog)  then,  don't you think that I'd have a little inventory of things that I might need to replace from time to time,  like oh,  I don't know,  light bulbs?   That kind of thing?   And if it was something that I didn't have a part for,  then I'm pretty sure that any number of companies on my little list of contacts could have the problem sorted out within hours.   NOT DAYS.

 So if I'm in the business of servicing  these piece of poo elevators and I know for a fact that a particular module is going to crap out if I look at it sideways,  (remember the Ford F150 pick-ups in the seventies?) wouldn't it be a pretty good idea to have a line on getting replacements in fairly short order?   Just wondering.

  I pointed out to the lady on the phone that it was a good thing that my wife had another office up in Shrems where she could work for a couple days and stay in a hotel,  (with a working elevator)  since there was no way she could continue to climb the stairs day and night.  I think I mentioned ending up in either the hospital or a coffin.    Gee,  maybe they have lawsuits over here too,  d'ya think?
 In any case,  suddenly the elevator was working again this morning.   I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one whose irate phone calls they had to put up with. 
 The other morning I passed our next door neighbour down stairs on crutches!  Her foot is in a cast!  That must be fun.  Negotiating six flights on crutches.

 If that means I'm a miserable so and so,  well that's just too bad.  I can be reasonable after all,  but after five days?  Please.

 
 At some point I'll put up a couple pictures of our guests whom we entertained over the last few days.  We'll see what kind of mood I'm in later.
          




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