7 Facts You Never Knew About Lifts

The coronavirus pandemic might have changed how we all interact with each other, affecting our travel, work, and social lives.

One area in particular that will have changed is how we use the lifts in buildings, whether that’s in public areas or where we live, as we all try to halt the spread of the virus.

While the stairs might become an option for some, it’s not so viable for those living on the higher floors of a building, or people who are unable, for a variety of reasons, to climb flights of stairs.

We have a list of facts about lifts you might never have known.

1. A study by Thyssenkrupp Elevators showed that 66 per cent of people would rather not talk in a lift.

2. The same study showed that Beyoncé was the world’s favourite celebrity to be stuck in a lift with, while Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump are the worst.

3. In 2010, workers in New York spent the equivalent of 16.6 years waiting for lifts.

4. The first lift in a London hotel was called the “ascending room” at the Grosvenor in 1860.

5. Every day, a billion people travel in lifts, making a total of seven billion journeys.

6. The earliest record of a primitive lift was invented by Archimedes in the 3rd century BC. The Colosseum in ancient Rome had 24 lifts manually operated by more than 200 slaves.

7. In 1743, King Louis XV of France had a lift installed at Versailles to carry him from his first-floor room to his mistress on the second floor.

For many people, lifts are essential and can’t easily be avoided. So please wear a mask, and wait patiently for the next one if someone who needs it more than you is waiting.

If you need help or assistance with passenger lifts, talk to our team today.