Elevator joke

An American was visiting London on business. In an office building he is frantically pressing the elevator button, as he is late for a meeting.

The British security guard goes to him "Is everything okay sir?"

The American goes "Your damn elevators are slow!"

The British security guard goes "No worries sir, it is a busy time of day. The lift will be here shortly."

The American, at this point impatient goes: "Elevator, you idiot. I'm from America, and we invented the damn thing - it's called an ELEVATOR."

The British security guard simply smiles and says: "Very true, you did, sir. However, we invented the language, you see. As such, it is called a lift."

That made me think... did the Americans really invent the "damn thing"?

OK, partly is true:
<In 1823, an "ascending room" made its debut in London.
In 1853, Elisha Otis introduced the safety elevator, which prevented the fall of the cab if the cable broke. The design of the OTIS safety is somewhat similar to one type still used today.[...]

On March 23, 1857 the first Otis elevator was installed at 488 Broadway in New York City.>

<Elisha Graves Otis (August 3, 1811 — April 8, 1861) invented a safety device in 1852 that made elevators much safer by preventing them from falling if the hoisting cable broke. Otis was born near Halifax, Vermont. >

from Wikipedia

Both names are problematic. Think about it: "lift" and "elevator" would seem to refer only to upward motion. The same goes for "ascending room" and "escalator". What do you call it when it's going down?

<<What do you call it when it's going down?>>

A good time, Jim, a good time! ;)



(Sorry, I was just reading the "double meaning" thread...)

no comment but like the joke
lol

<Both names are problematic. Think about it: "lift" and "elevator" would seem to refer only to upward motion. The same goes for "ascending room" and "escalator". What do you call it when it's going down?>

Well it could agured that the main reason of the invention of lifts were prodominently designed to go up the new sky scapers if the 1910's.

Maybe we should say 'moving box' like the Afrikaaners.

Jerk

That's as funny as a fart in an elevator.

Jerk = times rate of change of acceleration
Acceleration = times rate of change of velocity
Velocity = times rate of change of distance

Interestingly, in practical elevator/lift design, jerk
needs to be considered.