A quick survey among students reveals that the elevators remain a place of claustrophobic terror. Well, maybe not terror. But seemingly everyone has an “elevator story.” More specifically, everyone has been stuck in the elevator.

Senior Elle Romano has had such experiences. “Oh my goodness, do you want to hear what just happened to me?”

She was on an elevator with about 18 or 19 people. Out of nowhere, Floor 9 popped up on the floor indicator screen. This created tension because most students on board were pretty sure that the 9th floor is not a floor that students can go to. When the elevator got to the 9th floor, the elevator doors opened, but the elevator was still moving up. Because everyone in the elevator wasn’t sure if their elevator car was going to make a full stop, they leaped out, one after another, abandon-ship style. This left most flustered and no one was really certain about what to do or where to go.

Romano is convinced the whole episode was caused by a “phantom,” as there were no teachers or administrators on the elevator.

A more common elevator story is one that junior Odette De Camier shared. She was stuck in an elevator with at least 20 people. Everyone was crammed and squished together. This uncomfortable bunch got stuck while approaching the 11th floor and their misadventure lasted around 30 minutes. De Camier and others contended with an excruciating wait. That wait became worse because one marooned student started eating Chinese food and the unpleasant smell did not go over well with the rest. When everyone finally got out, most occupants were more annoyed than freaked out.

“It’s was so hot. We’re all crammed together. People are yelling. You just sit there and you think to yourself, ‘Why me?’” De Camier said.

Senior Mary Kouman had a tale to top most anyone’s story. The occupants of her elevator took packing-the-box to new levels with more than 30 people crammed in their elevator. This tried-and-true recipe for getting stuck worked with predictable results, and before long no one was going anywhere between the 4th and 5th floors. Temperatures in such tight quarters started rising and soon, students were shedding clothing layers to cool off and cope.

First the students used their cell phones to call the main office, but no one had service. The students then pushed the emergency call button on the elevator. When a response came, the frantic students were told to wait. With all the weight aboard, there were real spoken fears that the elevator might drop. All told, it took around an hour for everyone to get safely off.

“It was overwhelming and frightening being stuck in an elevator,” Kouman said. “It’s an experience I would never want to wish upon anyone at all.”

Teachers don’t always appreciate North Atlanta-exclusive elevator problems that cause students to be late to class. There are some students who may argue that getting stuck is a good thing. After all, if you didn’t study for a test and you wind up missing it because you’re stuck between the 5th and the 6th floors, maybe you caught a lucky break. At this school, getting stuck could come in handy at times.