Destination elevator

Destination elevator an innovation to prevent stopping of the elevator at each floor because some brat decides to press every button. A panel less elevator. Before boarding the elevator one has to decide their own destination and the system tells which elevator needs to be boarded. This is an innovation that is useful but also causes confusion. Here is a story from my office.

My corporate office had been using destination elevators. People like us who would visit that office everyday were comfortable with the concept. But then there used to be some visitors who used to get utterly confused because of it.

It was a regular Tuesday afternoon for me. I wanted to have coffee so I boarded the destination elevator from my 7th floor office to the first floor Cafeteria. As I entered the elevator I saw a middle aged man in the elevator carrying a laptop bag. The entire building belonged to my company hence I knew he would be a colleague. He gave me a confused smile and I returned a confident smile.

The elevator stopped to on the first floor and I got off. This man also followed me and got off at the first floor. I was heading towards cafeteria that is when I heard someone calling me from behind, "excuse me miss." I thought I must have dropped something that is why someone is calling me. I turned around to find out that the same man who was with me in the elevator was calling me. His face was completely confused. His body language told me that he was unsure what to do ahead.

I walked back to him and asked him, "did you call me?"

The man said, " yes I did to call you. I want to leave but I don't know how should I get out of this building," he pointed towards the elevator that is when I understood his confusion.

"Okay I understand. To which floor do you want to go to? Ground floor or the parking lot?" I asked him this question because both these facilities were on different floors.

"I don't know where I came from. There was someone with me who guided me towards the office. Will you please help me? I really need to leave, " desperation in his voice was growing with each passing second.

"Yes definitely I will help you. I only wanted to understand which floor you want to go to. Did you come by your own car or your dropped off at the lobby?" I was asking him relevant question so that I could guide him. I tried speaking as calmly as possible. I was scared that he may get a panic attack.

"I took an Uber. I think I got off outside of the gates. How to go back there?" I don't know what had happened to him in the office but he was really eager to get out of this place.

"Okay then you can go from either floors but I will ask you to go through the ground floor, it will be better for you. Let me help you with selection of the elevator," he followed me like how a school child would follow the teacher.

I selected the destination elevator for him and told him to board the elevator, "when you reach the ground floor ask the security for the exit. They will guide you towards the exact and the formalities towards the exit." I was instructing with polite and calm voice hoping to minimize his anxiety.

"Thank you so much miss for your help," he said with a wide relaxed smile on his face while boulding the elevator, weaving back at me. I smile back and then headed to the cafeteria to get the coffee.

It was an experience that I remember even today. Destination elevator was not really confusing but for any person who is using it for the first time definitely required help. It was really refreshing to see that he did not mind asking a stranger that too a young women to ask for help. He needed help and he asked for it without hesitation which is a rare quality to see in middle aged men. This incident made me chuckle as well as it made me happy that day. It made me happy because I felt the joy of helping someone even though it was a minor help.