Speaking of elevators

[Shaw]

Speaking of elevators, some friends and I were talking about the elevator situation at this (and last) year's con. Most people are great, although it sometimes does get crammed to overcapacity, but there are those that jump up and down inside them, press the door closed button to keep it from opening at other floors and generally just being rude and obnoxious. Perhaps if volunteers could be posted inside the elevators during peak hours and especially on Sunday when everyone is trying to get their luggage downstairs to act as an elevator operator. They could make sure only a set amount of people enter at a time as well as see that people behave themselves once inside. It might cut down on the overloading as well as the abusiveness thus keeping more of the elevators in operation. It might also keep people from being run over as people run down the stairs. This is just a thought but maybe this idea will spark an even better one from the great but often overworked staff.

[Pestilence]

I actually didn't notice any rude or negative behavior on any of the elevators I rode.  I also did not notice much crowding at all.  My question to you is--out of curiosity--were you in the tower portion of the Marriot or in the Atrium area?

[Greg Hines]

There was plenty of crowding going on. And historically, NDK attendees have been very tough on the elevators, largely due to impatience. Many people would rather overcrowd an elevator than wait another 90 seconds for the next elevator.

And we actually did have someone in an elevator when we were left with just one. This was during the peak hours on Sunday. It helped keep elevator traffic running smoothly during that time, which just goes to show that even though you don't fit as many people on an elevator at a time, it ends up being more efficient to limit the number of passengers on each trip because it makes each trip faster.

I have no doubt that there will be discussions at the highest level of the con about elevators.

[kai]

This is just something I noticed over and over that has a really simple fix: if you are waiting for an elevator, get out of the way of the doors so the people inside can get out! Luckily I never saw anyone get trambled or tripped on, but every time I stepped out of an elevator people surged forward as though they expected it to be empty. I understood how eager people were to either go up to their rooms or get to a panel, but we have got to wait -preferably at a distance of more than 6 inches - for people to exit before we get on.

I don't think we can do anything about the sheer amount of traffic up and down those little metal boxes. Even if only a few people use an elevator at a time, they are still running constantly for a weekend. That's tough on any kind of machinery. I just hope con-goers understand that this doesn't mean the hotel doesn't take care of their elevators or that someone needs to be yelled at/blamed when one or two go out of service.

Also, I saw at least three staffers supervising the tower elevators at various times during the convention, getting people into a line, making sure people inside could get out safely, and making sure the elevators didn't get overcrowded. If we could be super-nice to these people doing a very boring job that shouldn't be so necessary just for our safety and convenience? I'd love to see that. I didn't get their names, but I really appreciated those staffers taking that over since it can become such an issue.

[toadstoolssecretluvchild]

we all stuck to the stairs for the most part. I think I only used the elevators for checkin' in and out and emergency situations. so total for maybe 3. But yeah I did notice so wierd things goin and dont try gettin angry and the lady in front of the elevators tryin to make things civil. She rokz

[Phoenix]

As one of the staff who was stationed as Ele'lator Nanny one night, I can certainly say that for the most part, everyone was understanding of the need to keep traffic to a certain limit, and prolong the life of the elevators during the Con. I had a few people who insisted that if the elevator said it could hold '18 people' then we should let more than 10 on at a time. >_<
I am happy to say we had several reports of Con-Goers self monitoring... One staff observed y'all waiting in a line and limiting to 10 without any of us supervising, and I personally was on an elevator where folks limited the capacity to 10 even on the way up! (I was so proud!! I didn't have to say a word!)
So a giant ARIGATO!!!

[Pestilence]

I saw similar events.  There was one time I was waiting for an elevator and as the door opened they were like WE'RE FULL! but with a smile.  There really was nothing I could do about it, I just took the next one.  In hindsight, that was a very good decision on their part.

[Kyaa the Catlord]

One of my friends was volunteering this weekend and got posted on the elevator. He tends to get kinda... stressed... in crowds so being shoved into a box with strangers wasn't probably the best plan, but he survived.

Just a shout out to Davron the Mighty, ruler of the UPDOWN box.

[Sarge]

Elevators at this hotel have always been an issue.  While most folks are understanding and polite, I do know of a few incidents of overcrowding, pushing, rudeness, as well as jumping in the elevator.  We do all we can to try and limit this behavior, but there are only so many of us and we do expect attendees to behave themselves at the convention.  We'll see next year what we do about the problem.

[Armstrong]

Something of concern to bring up as well: people who were waiting on the Peak level (where the awesome Robotech display was) were being victims of overcrowding from the first floor.

Not sure exactly how to deal with this issue, some people spent more time on the P level than on the main floor, and need the elevators just as much.

Maybe posting a few posters at the lift (or even in them) reminding NDK-goers that discretion is the better part of valor...and may keep the elevators working longer.

[mastergods]

I did bit get to the con till 3 on friday. but when I got there the middle tower elevator was out as soon as I got there. If I recall the last two cons it was also out. does it break down on the first day or something? it seems like the same elevators go down each con. I know those things are over used thanks to us con goers. but it was sad to see one down as soon as I got there.

[ablackmage]

Something of concern to bring up as well: people who were waiting on the Peak level (where the awesome Robotech display was) were being victims of overcrowding from the first floor.

Not sure exactly how to deal with this issue, some people spent more time on the P level than on the main floor, and need the elevators just as much.

Maybe posting a few posters at the lift (or even in them) reminding NDK-goers that discretion is the better part of valor...and may keep the elevators working longer.

The elevators on P are suspiciously close to the single flight of stairs to the lower level. Loading from one level is far, far easier than trying to coordinate two levels. I'd worry less about discretion and save trying to cram into an elevator on P to those who /can't/ go down stairs rather than those who /don't want to/ go down stairs. And in those cases, I'm sure the congoers on the elevators can self-accomodate.

[Rippy The Nekomatta]

Well, as someone who is not able to use stairs very easily, I would like to know if there is some help with this. Sorry, but my knees will give out if I have to walk up and down stairs all the time, sorry, its just a little bit of a problem that has progressed over the years. Anyway, I am wondering about that myself, because it isn't just me, but a couple of my other friends who are not able to use stairs that are also concerned about the elevators, we can't stand in line for it either, will staff have at least some way to have chairs at least for the tower elevators there so we can at least sit. Sorry to ask.

[Greg Hines]

There's not much we can do about that, no. We don't recommend people use the stairs unless one or more of the elevators is out of commission (and even then it's only a choice). We also can't really put chairs in the elevator line for various reasons that come to mind.

So sorry, there's nothing we can really do to help you directly, but there are several things you can do to help yourself:

• Request a room on the atrium side of the hotel. If you arrive early enough, they may be able to accommodate you. I think they only reserve the rooms that face the atrium, not those on the other side of the halls. The elevators on this side of the hotel are much less prone to breaking and there are many fewer floors to travel, which speeds things along significantly.
• If you can't get a room on the atrium side, request that your room be on the lowest level possible. The fewer floors you have to travel, the less time it will take in general to get where you're going (and the fewer stairs to climb/descend should you choose that route).
• There are already several seats around the elevator lobby and perhaps you could ask someone to hold your place in line while you sat down to wait. Maybe you'll find a sympathetic person--perhaps even the staffer manning the elevator, but it would be purely their discretion--who would to help you out. (This wouldn't be a policy, mind you; just relying on the kindness of strangers.)

Unfortunately, though, standing in lines is just a fact of life at any large congregation of people, and there's not a whole lot we can do to make that less unpleasant.

[Rippy The Nekomatta]

Well, my knees only lock when I have been standing for three or more hours at a time, if that is the case that I must stand in a line, then I will just have to endure pain. If I fall over, well, then what am I supposed to do? I will have my friend stand with me then, I don't trust strangers, if I don't know the person, than I assume the person is going to take advantage of me.

[Greg Hines]

I'm sorry to hear that, but I don't expect you'll be spending three hours waiting at the elevators over the course of the entire weekend, let alone waiting three hours at any one time. I have already listed several options that you can exercise on your own to minimize the amount of time spent waiting for elevators. That is all we can do for you; your distrust of strangers is not a problem we can fix.

[William]

I know this has been said many times in the past already, and I also take note of the fact that not everyone that attends NDK reads through these forums, but for those of you that do, keep in mind that the best way to keep those elevators running all weekend is to treat them with respect.

I have to deal with these elevators year round and I can honestly tell you all that they rarely break down. Even for other large conventions like starfest, if we have an elevator problem it's normally only one and doesn't slow anything down.

To help you all better understand how this works. When an elevator goes down, for whatever reason, the hotel itself doesn't have the ability to just walk over, flip a switch, and make everything all better again. The company who was contracted to build those lifts has to be called in to repair whatever went wrong and get it up and running. Normally that isn't to hard to do, but they can't always come running everytime we call them. sometimes it takes a day or two.  Over crowding, and playing around on the elevators the way some people do during the convention is just a quick way to make the rest of the weekend a real hassle for everyone.

So please do your best to limit the number of people that get on, and don't turn them into a game (I can't imagine riding an elevator to be something all that fun anyway). Word of mouth is powerful on this as well, so ask those that join you to the convention to do the same, please. It'll make all our lives that much simpler.

[Rumor]

The problem is the hotel doesn't feel obligated to make the elevators run perfectly because it's NDK goers that cause them to break by overcrowding

That being said, i do think the fact that Anime cons are generally not what hotels enjoy hosting has some effect. If the elevator had broken down during a business convention, or during any big-wig convention, they might have tried harder to get it fixed sooner.

[William]

I'll let you know right now that the Elevators going down durring NDK has nothing to do with anime cons not being something that hotels generally enjoy hosting.

As soon as the Elevators shut down, the call goes out, whether its an anime con, or a buisness meeting. The hotels views on the attendee's has nothing to do with how long it takes for the OUTSIDE company to come in and get those lifts up and running again.

Take it from someone who knows.. Yes Cons like NDK and starfest are a handful to host.. there are many problems that come up durring the set-up and running of the weekend, and there is a whole lot more clean up to do then with most groups (Myself playing a major roll in all of that by the way). It's these cons that pull in the big bucks for the hotel. There arn't very many groups that sell out every room in that building four months before the meeting actually starts, and NDK keeps doing it faster every year. The hotel LOVES having NDK in the building and is more then willing to do everything possible to keep the group happy and coming back. If picking up the phone and calling someone to come out and fix a lift is one of those things, I assure you the hotel staff will not hesitate to do it.

and FYI, as far as profits go... NDK and Starfest are the big-wig conventions.

[Sarge]

Rumor, be advised William is the expert on this subject... by far.

Having worked the con and dealt with the hotel heavily at every con we have been at the Marriott, I will say that they have actually gone out of their way to do everything in their power to help us in every way.  I have never worked with a friendlier or more knowledgeable staff of a hotel, and we owe them much.

Usually the elevator breaking down is caused by someone jumping up and down or some such nonsense at the con.  All it takes is one.  And one out of 6000 is not a lot.

The lesson to be learned here is that EVERY staff member AND attendee should display their own leadership by stopping such misbehaving if you see it.  None of us want to be in an elevator when it breaks.