Elevator Operator "Refuses" to Call 911 for Couple, Leaves Them Trapped Until Neighbor Calls Fire Department

Tons of sitcoms have a stuck-in-an-elevator episode that's kind of used as a "filler" where the main characters talk about all of the misadventures they've gotten themselves into. They're sort of used as a highlight reel of funny moments, probably when the budgets run thin or the writing room ran out of ideas. And while they seem hilarious on TV, if it happens to you in real life, it's probably nowhere near as whimsical.

It's definitely a scary thought to be stuck in an elevator, and not just for folks who were freaked out by this M. Night Shyamalan movie. Thankfully all elevators are equipped with an emergency call button that can be used to hopefully reach some outside help to extricate you should you ever get stuck.

But what happens if the operator on the other line refuses to call 911 for you?

That's what happened to this couple who uploaded their experience in dealing with an operator on the other line who reportedly wouldn't call 911 to get them out of the elevator they were stuck in.

TikTok-er @mnv__13 (Matt) uploaded a clip of their experience. In the video, he can be seen sitting on the floor speaking with the operator on the other line as an alarm perpetually sounds off. The text insert over the video reads, "I got stuck in my elevator and the operator was gonna let me burn."

It didn't take long for the TikTok to go viral, clocking in tons of views and comments from concerned social media users.

"Bro, can you call 911 for me? I don’t have no service on my phone," Matt is heard saying in the video. There's no response so he presses the elevator's service button again.

"Hello?" Matt asks after pressing the button. "Yes sir?" The operator says.

"Can you call 911 from your phone?" Matt asks.

"No sir," the operator replies.

"What do you mean, 'no?' You don't have a phone?" Matt asks.

The video cuts out soon after that. Thankfully, the couple were able to be released from the elevator.

Matt posted another video where he explains that both he and his girlfriend got stuck in the elevator after returning back from a party and were only rescued once a neighbor heard their calls for help and decided to call the fire department.

He said that he only notified the operator after seeing that his cell phone had no service (which is often the case in elevators.)

Other TikTok-ers were shocked at the utter lack of help from the operator. "Nah cuz i would have contacted whoever the operator's company’s corporate and ruined her day. That's literally her job bro to operate," one user wrote.

Another penned, "Sounds like a lawsuit."

However, there were other people who wrote that this is pretty much a common occurrence as elevator helplines are usually outsourced to another location. "This is most elevators in the USA. They literally just have a cell phone that calls a help desk somewhere else in the world," one TikTok-er said.

"The reason they’re not calling 911 is because building have their own mechanics for this," another used replied.

Some emergency elevator guidelines, like this one published by MeiUSA writes "To provide for two-way conversation within the building and after-hours communication outside the building, the hands-free elevator telephone will most likely be employed. Calls will go to an answering service or if permitted, local 911 or other emergency services number."