Elevator flow control : Necessary , but can you not be so aggressive?

I can't speak for the Dorsai, but I do know this much: the elevators at the Westin have a special behaviour when the weight sensor is tripped that cancels any other call buttons that may be pressed, instead sending the car immediately to the ground floor. It's inconvenient, but the "everybody out" policy was put into effect simply because not doing so meant that higher floors could not get an elevator at all.

Having had this particular and most unpleasant duty at MFF And AC on occasions, I want to mention that it is a very thankless job. A lot of folks get mean when you tell them they can't shove their way onto a packed elevator, so I personally try to cut the dorsai some slack when they're working that shift.. it's hard to be friendly when you're dealing with unfriendliness every 20 minutes

What I'd really like to see is more acknowledgement from our members of the elevator policy. Just because the dorsai aren't on a given floor at a given moment doesn't make it okay to put 15 people on the elevator. If we all work together to ensure the elevators don't break, it's best for everyone involved

Sorry to hear about your incident however. Those elevators seem to take on a life of their own sometimes, and it can certainly be frustrating. They need personality re-writes

"Please enjoy your trip through this door."

Steve Hopps aka "Simba Lion"
Anthrocon 2008 A/V Director
http://www.anthrocon.org/
E-Mail: smblion@anthrocon.org

Good point with regard to the Dorsai. A little common courtesy goes a long way. I noticed that the Dorsai were lacking that for the most part.

My complaint was sending elevators up very lightly loaded when there was a long line waiting. Rather than allowing a fixed number of people, varying the number based on how much space each person occupied would have been more fair.

At least on more than one occasion I saw a line on the lobby level from the 2nd floor balcony, then the elevator stopped on the 2nd level and there were only five or six people inside.

And yes, that's "cutting in line", but if you do it properly the elevator should be sufficiently full that "cutting in line" simply isn't possible.

My recommendations would be the following:

Have dorsai/staff/volunteers unfortunately guard and deny access to the elevators on the second and third floors, or put up signs there requesting going down to the first floor. I know from time to time staff guarding was not done, and I can understand shortages that occur that force that due to the events and other priorities for the dorsai/staff/volunteers.

On the first floor, do things a little bit differently. It's a very minor tweak, but I believe it would help out immensely. Talk to the hotel staff and see if they can get a line marker thing, you know, the poles and ropes/ribbon. It doesn't have to be long at all, but it should be capped with a sign that denotes one side as "Con member line" and the other side as "Hotel guests and special needs" or something to that effect. That way, hotel guests will know for sure where to go when they see the crazy line and red shirts and such. This also will help keep the line 'shoved' closer against the wall so it doesn't end up curving and blocking the elevator entrance area or anything and requiring the dorsai to constantly remind con-goers to move to the side or anything like that. Essentially I think it would 'smooth' things out on logistics of the elevator mess.

Also take into consideration how many freakin times the escalators had to be reset.

Get on a packed elevator in the lobby, go up to the third floor and have a couple jerks who've obviously not bathed in days squeeze into the elevator so that you're pressed against a bunch of strangers repeatedly over the course of the week, then tell me that elevator control is not necessary.

If people would be more considerate, i.e. notice an elevator is full and not try and hop in even after remarking to everyone on it 'oh man what a packed elevator!' maybe that sort of control wouldn't be necessary.

People are only needed to enforce safety and comfort rules when they're consistently broken.

If Westin hotel customers have problems with the Dorsai, then that could be an issue, but it should be handled by them.

The Dorsai have been doing this for a long time. Unfortunately, because of mundanes just not getting it, the Dorsai need to be stern in their words or things just will not work.

Still, though, I agree to a certain extent. At times, I feel that I've been insulted because of how they responded.

They're doing their job, and for the most part, I appreciate what they do for us. Trying to control over 3,000 furs is an undertaking in of itself, and being stern just comes naturally from frustration.

Don't take it personally.

Waiting in line wasn't bad. Only took a couple of minutes any time I waited, and I got to make friends with people around me while I did. After _major_ events, I would just avoid the elevators unless absolutely necessary and go to the Zoo or something and be a social animal.

I found the Dorsai to be rather pleasant, given the circumstances - in fact, many of them seemed to be smiling regardless of how stressful the situation got. I would have appreciated signs at the second and third floors, since it seemed a waste to have Dorsai posted there at the beginning of the con before anyone caught on th the system. Ya know, just something nice like "Anthrocon attendees please take elevator from lobby ONLY," on a pole or tripod in the elevator area. Simply put, not everyone was around the first couple hours when Dorsai was informing attendees not to use the elevators at second and third floors.

There was a point when a staff member on an elevator not dressed in Dorsai Red got particularly short with an attendee who got on at the third floor, and well, it was then that I decided that, to say the least, I never wanted to be that fella's friend. That kind of thing seemed to be a rare event as I saw it, though.

Overall, it was a lot more difficult to find an elevator going down than up. The five to ten minute wait in the lobby always beat the twenty minute wait on any of the upper floors, and the organization of the line seemed much appreciated. So, Dorsai: awesome job and thanks for smiling.

So yah, I had not a single problem with the Dorsai. I think you all did a great job. Even when the line for the lifts was huge it moved very quickly.

Then again I had the advantage of being a handler for some suiters most of the con, but since we were on the 5th floor, when I wasn't with them I usually just hoofed it. I mean come on it's only a few floors and god knows exercise can't hurt.

Escorting the suits up, however, was different. Had one who had trouble navigating the stairs with us, and one of our group was a handicap fur.

Point is, I had no issues when I did wait a few times (usually heading up to the 20th floor) with the regular crowds and I think they did a great job.

I only had one bad incident with one Dorsai and the elevators, that was Saturday night I'm guessing around 10pm. I was on the 12th floor and had been taking the stairs pretty much all day Friday and Saturday to avoid the lines and waiting. Anyway, Saturday night I was heading to the 2nd fursuit friendly dance (which, by the way, I was very thankful they added) in the PA Ballroom. I was a little beat from walking up and down all day and decided to take the elevator down this one time to give my legs a break, since I was going to be dancing. Even lions get tired.

So, I'm on the 12th floor, and the doors open. The elevator wasn't crowded, I'm guessing 4 or 5 people, but I noticed that the overhead lights were off, so it was dark inside except for the button lights. Grateful for an available elevator, I didn't question or give this much of a thought, as I often will walk into a dim or dark room at home and not bother with the lights if I don't really need them. I'm not afraid of the dark, and when I go star gazing I try to avoid light as much as possible- the amateur astronomers out there will understand. So I'm used to subdued light. I assumed the elevator light burned out or something, just like the escalators stopped working at times, really none of my business, and I got in and rode it down.

On the way down, someone with a digital camera tried to take a picture of a fursuiter riding with us. I got distracted in a brief conversation about photography in low light conditions, and totally forgot to push the number 2 button to get off at the 2nd floor, so we ended up at "L", the lobby. "Oh well," I thought, "no big deal. I'll just take the stairs back up one floor."

When the doors opened at the lobby, before we began filing out, suddenly one of the Dorsai stood in front of us and said angrily, "Hold it, guys! This is a badge pullable offense!"

I had no clue what he was talking about, neither did the fursuiter next to me, as all we had done was ride the elevator down, yet we were now being threatened with having our badges pulled... for what?? Lost and speechless myself, the conversation continued with others in the back. I guess we were being accused of tampering with or sabotaging the elevator, disabling the lights, which no one did that I saw as it was dark when I got on. I don't know what happened. I guess they let us go then, I walked away and was pretty shaken up over the confrontation, and me and the other fursuiter were like WTF?? as we headed toward the stairs to the PA Ballroom. It took me about 45 minutes to calm down from this incident at the dance, and it bothered me for a long time. I took the stairs the rest of the night.

I wasn't going to post this as I don't like to complain, and must emphasize that I had an absolutely fantastic time through the entire convention, but since the subject has come up, I decided to get it off my chest. Was anyone else reading this post on the elevator too that night? What happened with this, was it ever resolved?

Flow control would be alot easier if everyone who was only 3-4 flights up(Aka up to floor 6/7) took the stairs. I did, this year(Unless I was in suit), and it was easy, and often times took LESS time than getting on the elevator.
By sunday there were DOZENS of people using the stairs, in record numbers I'm sure So props to everyone who walked instead of waited, and helped cut down line times.