Express lift stuck

Firstly, this is a 70s 2nd gen Express lift, that has had the logic semi replaced. The position system has been replaced and wired into the original logic. Very unusual.

Lifts do get stuck sometimes. This doesn't mean that they need modernizing. Its just that mechanical things do brake down sometimes. I believe that the problem was either an overheat of the motor or DC converter (either from the amount of use these lifts get, or something making it draw too much current). The thing is not that the lift broke, but how the staff handled it.

Before the lift got stuck, I could hear an alarm coming from the motor room. At the time I didn't know anything about this (although I know now as theres videos of this alarm). I thought the alarm was coming from the Mobile transmitter, and I got in the lift. All 2nd/3rd gen Express have this alarm (separate from the lift alarm) which sounds when there is a problem. The lift then got stuck when it started moving, It tried again twice then gave up.

What was most shocking was not getting stuck but what happened next. After I rang the bell for a long time and got no response, I then looked up the phone number of the building and phoned them (I would have been very stuck without my Android, which was almost out of battery).

I tried phoning the building but didn't get anywhere. Then the next thing I hear is loud banging from the motor room. And this was not the lift, I could clearly hear someone up there banging away at something. I had no idea what they were doing, the lift didn't need manual rescue as it was not far from the floor. I shouted out as loud as I could and the guy in the motor room muttered something back which I couldn't understand. Their lack of communication was shocking, and banging at stuff in the motor room is not acceptable with someone trapped in the lift. I believe he was banging at the brake to release it, which is very stupid as this gearless lift would have started moving out of control without a brake (the proper rescue procedure uses controlled brake releasing, not banging the lift free). If he had succeeded the lift would have started moving upwards (as one person in lift is below mid weight) and he would not have been able to stop with a smashed up break, the lift would have hit the roof.

After some more attempts at phoning them, I finally got a response. The person on the other end started off being friendly then quickly started being rather rude. After I explained that the lift got stuck, the conversation went on for a while, and she then asked if I wanted the fire brigade to let me out. (rather odd thing to say). I said something along the lines of "that sounds a bit extreme", and I didn't want to waste their time unnecessarily. She then started getting grumpy and said that I would now have to wait half an out for Jacksons to come and let me out as she would not do it herself because of some crap about health and safety (which was not true as building staff should be able to let people out a lift, its not exactly hard).

After this the conversation started to get heated when she realized that I knew stuff about lifts, when I started asking questions about the operation of the lift. She acted as if having knowledge was a crime, and then started demanding to know why the lift was at the top floor when there is no cars up there (She didn't understand lift filming). Then she demanded to know my name and address and I told her to stuff it. After a long conversation she said that she would phone 999 for the fire brigade as that was the only way that I could get out.

Within 3 minuets, 2 friendly firemen came and let me out (who luckily didn't have better things to do with their time). After I was out the lift the guy in the motor room, and the lady I spoke to took me (more like forced me) into there office and again started asking for my details. I told them exactly what I thought of their shitty communication skills, and I demanded to know what was going on in the motor room. They denied that the banging in the motor room ever happened (the fucking liers trying to cover up that they broke H&S). And they had the cheek of saying that they couldn't open the lift doors themselves due to H&S (what a load of total shit, like they never do anything against H&S like trying to smash a lift's brake). Then they started interrogating why I had a knowledge of lifts and they made it clear (although without actually using any words) that they would forcefully not let me leave if I tried, if I didn't give them my details. So I gave them fake details, oh yeah, like I was going to give them two shits my actual details.