Eleven people rescued from SLO elevator

February 10, 2012

San Luis Obispo city firefighters rescued eleven people who were stuck inside the Palm Street parking structure elevator on Thursday evening. [KCOY]

Around 7 p.m., the elevator became stuck.

Firefighters point to an excessive amount of weight in the elevator as the cause of the malfunction.

No one was injured and everyone was out of the elevator by 8 p.m.


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I agree with the ‘walkers’. I have taken the elevator only twice, when I felt really bad. Most of then time I walk, for health. I see all kinds of people who could, and should, take the stairs. Lazy society, we are getting very lazy. Look at the weight statistics, we are becoming a nation of fatties. Get out and walk.


I would have farted


It must have looked like a combo of the Macy’s Parade and a clown car !


Laziness has its consequences. Unfortunately this cost the taxpayers money too probably.


We don’t know the health and ages of the people involved. It was Farmers Mkt, the place was packed with tourists… One our kiddos looks young & fit but has chronic health issues & sometimes needs to take an elevator. Taking an elevator/escalator is sometimes a necessity, not due to laziness.


it certainly involves either laziness or lack of patience. If you have take the elevator, do you really need to get on the one with 10 other people? Your point is valid, but there was definitely some kind of short circuited instant gratification thinking going on


It could have been that they just didn’t realize that there were too many people. If I were in the back of that elevator, I’m not sure if I would have thought, ‘let me outta here, there’s too many fat people’. I might have assumed that it could handle it. When we travel and stay in hotels and have to take the elevator, sometimes those elevators are packed with people and suitcases, especially in Vegas. Sometimes it crosses my mind that there might be too many people but then I think naa, they must engineer these things for this. I’ll be more careful in the future, especially because I’m a bit claustrophobic. I’d be the one freaking out if I was stuck in an elevator.


The typical elevator has a weight capacity of 2,500 pounds. If each person weighed 227.27 lbs that would reach the capacity. A 2002 government study reported that the average weight of a US male is 191 lbs and a US female is 142.2. 166.6 lbs would be the average weight of a US adult aged 20-74 when equally represented by 50% each male and female.


Conclusion; Each person on that elevator had to weigh at least a average of 60.67lbs above the average weight of a US adult to reach the elevator weight capacity of 2,500lbs!


I’ll admit, I am way over the average weight of the people on that elevator.


Thanks for the info..


No comment on my weight. No matter how much I puff and pant I take the steps because I need to, sounds like they should as well. That building is only what, 4 floors, I’ve never used that elevator. It takes longer to wait for the elevator than it does to just take the stairs.


Sounds like it’s time to up the average elevator capacity.


I’m afraid I, too, am well over the ” average” weight, but what of the design factor for most elevators? I always thought the engineers designed for 50% over posted limits.


Yikes, that elevator can’t handle eleven people!