5 Conversation Starters for National Talk in an Elevator Day

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Bet you didn’t know there was such a thing as National Talk in an Elevator Day! Well, there is, and this year it’s July 29th. It takes place on the last Friday of July every year. The premise of this national holiday is simple: break the silence and strike up a conversation with a stranger on an elevator! Who knows, you could brighten someone’s day or even make a new friend. Heck, you could even make a business contact that could pay off for you down the road.

National Talk in an Elevator Day

We thought we would help you out and give you some ideas as to conversation starters this July 29th.

  1. Discuss common elevator fears: One of the biggest fears people have of elevators is the cable suddenly snapping, sending the cable car plummeting down the shaft to everyone’s ultimate demise. In fact, there has only been one factual story about something like this happening, back in 1845. A military plane crashed into the Empire State Building because of foggy conditions and caused an elevator cable to snap. No fatalities resulted. Phew!
  2. Talk about famous elevator scenes in movies: Recount the grisly fate of Maurice Ronet in Louis Malle’s “Elevator to the Gallows.” Or recap those unforgettable scenes in “The Shining” and “The Paper Man,” (1971), and even “Five Corners,” with its hair-raising riding-atop-elevators scene in this 1987 film with Jodie Foster and John Turturro.
  3. Talk about elevator phobia: There is no official name for this, but elevators seem to trigger both claustrophobia and agoraphobia in many people. The Elevator Escalator Safety Foundation says more than 210 billion passengers use elevators in the U.S. and Canada every year. While not everyone has a debilitating fear of stepping on an elevator, many feel slightly nervous when doing so.
  4. Spout off a few facts about elevators: Elevator History says elevators are the safest mode of transportation, and are in fact 20 times safer than escalators. They are much safer than driving in a car. While about 26 people die in elevators each year in the USA, 26 people die in car crashes every five hours. In addition, every three days, elevators carry the equivalent of the Earth’s population. More than 325 million ride on elevators every day versus 245 million on escalators.
  5. Talk about famous elevators: Of course, the most famous in this country is St. Louis’ Gateway Arch, but over in Salvador, Brazil, the Lacerda Elevator is the world’s busiest elevator and the country’s first. It transports 900,000 passengers every month in 30-second trips between Uptown and Downtown, first opening in 1873 as the Conceição Hydraulic Lift. In 1896, it was renamed after its engineer. Other famous elevators around the world include the Louvre Elevator in France, the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas and Taipei 101 in China.

Your conversation on July 29th doesn’t have to be about elevators. Talk about the weather, current events, or just compliment someone on their outfit. You can even break the ice by simply saying “today is National Talk in an Elevator Day!”

If you own an elevator, want one, or just need yours repaired, call Mowrey Elevator today.