Elevators Up and Down

There are annual run-up races in famous buildings like the Empire State Building and Taipei 101. You can take part in these and possibly win a big prize. However, you may not want to climb up so far every day on your way to work or home. People can’t live and work in a tall building if they have to climb hundreds of stairs every day. The invention of the elevator has made it possible for us to make practical use of skyscrapers.
        When the elevator was invented in the 19^th century, it was powered by steam, notelectricity. In 1857 the first passenger elevator was installed in a five-story department store in New York. From that time on, the use of elevators spread widely. In 1880, the German Werner von Siemens built the electric elevator.

　　Nowadays, we find elevators in most tall buildings. But sometimes waiting for the elevator can be frustrating! There may be several elevators in one building, but each elevator has to make a stop at every floor for people to enter or exit.

　　The “destination elevator” is a new concept. You push the floor number you want before you enter the elevator. The computer decides which floors each elevator will stop at. Passengers who go to the same floor are grouped together in one elevator. Each elevator then makes only a limited number of stops.

　　The concept is quite similar to carpooling. During rush hour, passengers may save up to 30% of the time they spend getting to their destination. It is like taking an express busrather than a local one.