This story begins the night of the banquet at the 2023 Carolinas Regional Convention in Columbia, SC. So four of the BZT Fab Five were attending the Annual Banquet where it's always a formal event with servers and awards. We LIVE for this!
Anyway, 3 of us were ready so we left our sister Maria in the room to finish getting ready. We get to the hall and immediately begin taking pictures with EVERYONE! It's a family reunion each year.
So, it gets close to starting time and we're texting Maria to see if she's on her way. No response. We text some more. Nothing. I start to worry. It is Maria after all. So I tell my sisters that I'm going to go back to the room to check on Maria. I make sure to take the exact path I know she'd take in case we cross paths.
So, I get to the elevator which takes us literally right across from our room. I press the call button. It lights up. The bell dings the doors open. LIKE USUAL. I get in, I'm in the middle of texting my husband back. We are in a deep conversation. I noticed I wasn't moving but I couldn't remember if I pushed floor button so I figured I got in and continued my text and forgot to push the button so I hit our floor number. The elevator begins ascension then immediately stops! I wait for a moment as I ponder "am I really stuck?" Yes, Tiffany, you are in fact stuck as the elevator isn't MOVING! Ok, I take a few deep breaths to lower my heart rate. I push the emergency call button. Nothing. Ok start to panic just a tiny bit. Press the button again and I get a phone ringing. Ahh, it's gonna be okay. And it keeps ringing. And ringing. So maybe it won't be okay.
Finally an answer! Hallelujah! I tell her I'm stuck in the elevator by the front desk. She then asks what the address is for my location. I'm thinking to myself "WHAT?!? How am I supposed to know?" Then I let my PTK brain work and remember the elevator certificate always has the address on it. I look and tell her. She says there is a technician on the way and should be there in 45 minutes. If I need out before they get there, to have the hotel call the fire department. Um, I'm stuck in the elevator... (moment of realization) with my cellphone! I immediately tell my sister in our group chat.
Of course, Maria didn't see it (I love you girl). Shenan said she freaked out for a second and told Casey. Shenan gets up from our table and heads to the front desk to let them know I'm stuck (you should also know it's quite the hike from the banquet to the front desk - and in heels). What do you know, the maintenance guy is at the front desk. She tells him her friend is stuck in the elevator to which he replies "there's no one in there; I just called it down." She confirmed that she was in fact on the phone with me and I was trapped.
For clarity, he was working on the elevator but failed to put and out of order sign on the elevator so people would know not to use it. Once he realized I WAS trapped in there, he began trying to work on it to get me out. Shen was relaying everything to me. She was amazing at keeping me informed which helped me keep myself calm.
As I'm waiting to be rescued she tells me that he said me had to call the other maintenance guy to tell him how to manually open the door. Mind you while this is happening, the entire elevator goes dark. Ugh yeah. Not. Cool. At. All. The lights came back on and I felt a slight jolt in the elevator. He called it back down.
About that time Maria comes from the stair well and sees Shenan. She said she was trying to come down but the elevator never came. Shen told her that's because I was stuck in there. Maria was like whaaatt!?!? She's the one we have to thank for the miraculous elevator exit picture that made it to the banquet before I did. LOL! We made it to the banquet and as we were getting back to our table, people were asking if I was ok. I told them I got stuck in the elevator to which they replied "i know I saw the picture." Good to know you have so many that care about you at one of these events. We truly are family.
Later on Maria thanked me. I asked for what. She said that it could have been her instead. That I saved her. She's awesome. I do think things happen for a reason. I truly feel like I was the best one to get stuck since I was able to remain calm. There are several who said they will not be sharing an elevator with me in the future. You know who you are. I can't blame them. I think since it just happen I might be alright for a while but I'm not trying to tempt fate.
I love my sisters and wouldn't trade anyone of my Carolinas family members for anything in this world. We are blessed.
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