Paternoster lift
I doubt that most people know these exist. Much like riding a bicycle, you can die at any moment, but you'll be fine if you pay attention. Unlike riding a bicycle, your body can easily be chopped in half if you aren't paying attention. I've only ridden one of these lifts, in Vienna, but I'm pretty sure it didn't have any of the safety features that the one in this video had.
Nevertheless, wikipedia reports that 5 deaths were attributed to these lifts between 1970 and 1993, so it's apparently much safer than - most things.
(, Mon 18 Jul 2011, 2:15, Reply)
Doesn't that make it less dangerous than a flight of stairs?
The ones in India looked like mincers gone mad... blood everywhere.
(, Mon 18 Jul 2011, 2:22, Reply)
that's because in india there'd be 300 people trying to get into each section
(, Mon 18 Jul 2011, 2:27, Reply)
Try the stairs in Amsterdam
There's a reason that the woman at the hostel kept screaming at us not to smoke in the rooms, 10 years ago. The stairs were steeper than very steep things, and there were no fire escapes. But I confess, I smoked in the room anyway. Hostels were fun 10 years ago. So were lifts.
Now it's all safety before sanity. Puh, I say. Puh.
(, Mon 18 Jul 2011, 2:34, Reply)
I used to go out with a nice girl in the mid-nineties who was at Sheffield Hallam Uni
they had a paternoster there and it was ruddy scary. Looks like it might be still there www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8-RdjCll0w
(, Mon 18 Jul 2011, 2:25, Reply)
Nooooooo!
The paternoster is in the Arts Tower at the University of Sheffield...not on the campus of dirty dirty Hallam!
(
guffguff fuckes your gradeds balls!, Mon 18 Jul 2011, 11:57,
Reply)
i don't care if it's the safest thing in the world or the most dangerous
it's pretty fucking cool either way
(, Mon 18 Jul 2011, 2:26, Reply)
One is featured in The Omen.
That's the closest I've got to going on one, alas. :-(
(
benryves Now I'm radioactive! That can't be good!, Mon 18 Jul 2011, 2:29,
Reply)
They used to have them in Birmingham Uni library too
Cool as
(
simbosan has his calendar set to, Mon 18 Jul 2011, 4:54,
Reply)
Dental school, surely?
They certainly had them there. I don't remember one in the main library, though.
(
Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Mon 18 Jul 2011, 10:06,
Reply)
As a former user of B'ham Uni Library
I don't remember them either. I'm pretty sure if there had been one, I would have spent my time riding it rather than reading books.
EDIT: Wikipedia says it is the Engineering Building that's got a paternoster.
(, Mon 18 Jul 2011, 11:36, Reply)
Yeah it could well be a different building
It was nearly 35 years ago =)
(
simbosan has his calendar set to, Mon 18 Jul 2011, 12:08,
Reply)
I've *always* wanted to have a go on one of these.
Mum used to be a reference librarian, and they apparently had one at the central library where she used to work. Then when I saw one in The Omen I was all like 'Squeeee!'.
(
moogthedog, Mon 18 Jul 2011, 6:55,
Reply)
Remember it well
Awwww he didn't go for a full lap over and under. Under's ok - it gets a bit dark then there's a fluorescent strip lamp and you're back going up. Over is the scary part - it goes dark then there's loads of noise and wind then the grill showing you over Leicester - which you see briefly at the end.
...At least when it wasn't broken, shut for servicing or some fresher had pulled the emergency cord which would shut the thing down for the day
(, Mon 18 Jul 2011, 7:27, Reply)
Attenborough Tower, Leicester Uni
I used to ride it every day.
What was sweet was that de Montfort polyversity down the road built one too - except that theirs only covered 3 or 4 floors.
(
emvee cruor deo cruoris, Mon 18 Jul 2011, 8:17,
Reply)
There were five deaths
However there are only about three of these things working in the world today, and a handful before that. Whereas any building with more than one floor has stairs. Lots of stairs.
(
gaijintendo Regular Member, Mon 18 Jul 2011, 8:24,
Reply)
I've had a go on one of those.
No idea where though. Somewhere 'oop north'.
Not Leicester though. I've not been to Leicester.
(
Tab Hunter Make this useless process end and so, begin again, Mon 18 Jul 2011, 9:18,
Reply)
Newcastle Uni
There was one in one of the engineering buildings at Newcastle in the early '80s. I went on it once and that was enough thanks.
(
Blackdogmanguitar is out with Fat Larry's Jazz Band on, Mon 18 Jul 2011, 9:31,
Reply)
Not for me thanks... *shudders*
(
The magic of chutney Shakes it like an Instagram filter!, Mon 18 Jul 2011, 9:51,
Reply)
ah yes
They used to have one at Glasgow Uni when I was there a couple years back. Don't know if they've updated it or not.
Rode it a couple of times, but never went all the way to the top. Does anyone know what happens? Does it cross over and go down??
(, Mon 18 Jul 2011, 10:02, Reply)
Yes,
though I was told it inverted at the top and you had to do a quick somersault. Completely untrue of course, but it did heighten the tension!
(
Blackdogmanguitar is out with Fat Larry's Jazz Band on, Mon 18 Jul 2011, 10:34,
Reply)
Yeah, it didn't invert
it just went into a solid concrete bit, which if you shook it a little during the transition it would break down and you would be stuck there till the contractor in London made it up.
(
gaijintendo Regular Member, Mon 18 Jul 2011, 12:41,
Reply)
They had these in Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge
This was 16 years ago, no idea if they're still in use but seeing a guy in wheel chair getting out of one was
heart stopping.
(
Cerebus Sticky! Sticky! Stick! Stick!, Mon 18 Jul 2011, 10:02,
Reply)
It's like a student vending machine!
(
h3donist tryin' to play me out as if my name is Sega.., Mon 18 Jul 2011, 10:12,
Reply)
i remember being on one of these in a hospital somewhere in europe when i was a nipper
(, Mon 18 Jul 2011, 16:42, Reply)