The Paternoster: Europe's Doorless Elevator

[@207522]

0:38 Actually, that's not true. There are still some in other European countries as well. I've seen a coupe in Prague, Czech Republic as well.

[@davidzolcer4848]

In Slovakia a few government buildings have them too

[@robert3302]

They are very practical in low rise, high volume areas, like universities and city halls.

[@boop9430]

Agreed! My school’s library needs one of these

[@TheKewlPerson]

so are stairs though...

[@orangecookie3132]

​@@TheKewlPersonstairs take up so much room though

[@Fle-2870]

What if someone is an elderly? Or slow motion ?

[@danylbekhoucha6180]

@@orangecookie3132 Not spiral stairs.

[@MarkKellyPhotographyUK]

We used to ride one of these in Colmers Store, Bath, UK for ages every day after school, it was magical!😁😁

[@fercho3689]

What if you never get off the elevator? Do you spin around? What if you miss floor one?

[@dilllinrhatigan6126]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3zUYndse7hqgq8

[@dilllinrhatigan6126]

This video explains

[@thejj5159]

@@dilllinrhatigan6126 no it doesn’t

[@socksygen]

you die immediately

[@gammacxy]

you come out 1000 years later which felt like just a snap for you but it was 1000 years for everyone else

[@MaryBethPetra]

I first saw one of these Paternoster elevators in "Metropolis" and thought it was the coolest thing I'd ever seen.

[@jacksonjackson9015]

For some reason. Id feel a lot safer if these were the normal elevator. I get people with a disability and some elderly need normal elevators but me having a fear and been stuck in two elevators. Knowing that this never stops moving which means you wont ever stop in between floors is very cool. Also if this system ever failed it wouldnt just plumet to the ground or trap you but slowly coast down depending on which side has more people so you can just hop off instead of being forced inside a box😬

[@Zenaidafromthemoon]

Exactly, I grew up with paternoster and I fear normal elevators because they are always suddenly stopping and the doors close and what if they never open its freaky

[@circleinforthecube5170]

normal elevators have smarter and safer designs, theres a reason germany banned these types in the 70s

[@DanCronin-r9b]

Man was killed by one of these yesterday

[@demi3115]

Instead you can just get stuck between the lift and the top of the door.

[@circleinforthecube5170]

@@DanCronin-r9b point proven

[@jenniferbourne1053]

The part of my brain that says "that's dangerous!" and the part of my brain that wants to use one of these are having a fight right now.

[@elvirareb]

I’m scared of such elevators. It is my nightmare. I instantly can imagine body parts stuck between the floors or even being decapitated. And OMG hope kids will never be around it.

[@itslexi_]

There are bars to sense when someone doesn't make it on that actually stop the cycle

[@7prudent]

You are right about your fear.

[@paddybm3245]

It’s called natural selection and was quite useful.

[@bluebee5266]

Probably how these things got their name.

[@orandaadnaro]

Sheffield (UK) University had one and it was great fun to go to the top and to stay in , go over the top, and to come down. A very efficient device, and as far as I recall it was rare to be out of service, and simultaneously could raise or lower many more people than a usual pair of lifts. I think it had about 17 floors.

[@maestrovso]

I first saw these in Netflix's Babylon Berlin that is set in pre WWII Germany. My immediate thought was how many people lost their limbs or heads back in those days. I am sure the one still operating today must have some safety interlock should you be distracted with you phone, or simply being stupid.

[@paddybm3245]

There is actually smart design implemented. Like when you’re going up and there’s the bottom of the next floor you could loose a foot. Right? Wrong because the bottom of the next floor is hinged and would tilt upwards if you really hat your foot in it. I love them so much.

[@michaelarrowood4315]

I've ridden one in Germany, and loved the experience. Even rode over the top and back down again. Things like this can be entrusted to the practical and rule-following Germans... Americans would unfortunately maim themselves on the first day of operation and file lawsuits the next day. We would kill this technology by being stupid around it. Another reason America can't have nice, quirky things like Paternoster elevators! :(

[@harczymarczy]

There are quite a lot (29 according to Wikipedia) of them in Hungary and a few examples in Czechia, Slovakia, Austria, other parts of Europe, Asia and South America. IMHO it should be allowed again to build them them as long as they are supplemented by at least one conventional elevator or two. They are good for non-disabled and non-elderly people (80-90%) in high-rise, high-volume buildings like office towers and public administration buildings. The remaining 10-20% should use the barrier-free conventional elevator. (Well, for skyscrapers, express elevators may provide a better solution.)

[@Jason-o5s]

Cheer~~an elevator consisting of a series of linked doorless compartments moving continuously on an endless belt.😊

[@fromthe808state6]

Saw this type of elevator in a true crime documentary. It looks super cool and this is perfect for covid.

[@boop9430]

I wanna go on it so bad! Looks so fun 😂

[@Russia_Moscow_countryhuman]

Imagine missing your floor and having to go around it again 💀

[@itslexi_]

I assume you step out on the next floor and ride one floor down

[@notsureiL]

They go sideways when they reach the top or the bottom. Not dangerous to go all the way up or down. People have tried it on youtube .

[@lalotime]

Imagine tripping and getting resident eviled

[@theoriginalamvgirl]

Look, I’m just gonna ask: Has anybody ever died in one? Like, maybe somebody got onto one and lost their balance or something? I’m watching something on TV and they’re in Germany touring and I mentioned these lifts to my Mum and just had to show her. They’re fascinating, if not a little bit scary! ^^

[@duderespect5211]

No one was hurt

[@Profitglutton90]

@@duderespect5211 I think she’s talking about someone being hurt in the history of its existence

[@kamasammohana9697]

From 1970-1993 5 people did die from it

[@theoriginalamvgirl]

@@kamasammohana9697 Ooh … yikes … I just HAD to ask, didn’t I?

[@gutts7433]

People have died in them and that's why there was a ban on building new ones in Germany in the 70s. I saw these in The Omen recently, the part where they go to the old hospital that burned down, and was so confused at what I was seeing I had to google it! They are super interesting, I would like to try one some day honestly.

[@rykmat2542]

In Czechia, we have a lot of them still in operation. Most of them are accessible by the public and they are in hospitals too. They are a lot more efficient than regular elevators. Most of them are in listed buildings and are therefore also protected. Although there exist lots of myths and of course a few serious cases happened, paternosters are very safe and most of them operate for decades without any injury. In Prague, all the known accidents for more than 30 years in paternosters were caused by drunk tourist idiots.

[@Sokokido]

Do they run constantly? Without break?

[@aaronchapman151]

I used the very same Paternoster, when i was at De Montfornt University in Leicester, England, back in the 90's. It was situated in Fletcher building. So much better than waiting for a lift, that never comes.

A brutal accident waiting to happen

[@itslexi_]

You could say the same thing about any type of transportation that we use today but just like all of the Modern Day forms of transportation that we use this has safety measures put in place to make it as safe as possible (which is much safer than what meets the eye)!

[@lalotime]

​@itslexi_ yeah but what if you trip and the bar doesn't stop it. Or you trip and your head or arm doesn't trigger the saftey bar

[@mjedcz1]

Nothing will happen

[@marcokoehler8832]

​@lalotimeAny obstacle between the floor and the cabin will stop the entire system!

[@deoxymethyl]

Well, someone just died in one in Germany today.

[@IvarDaigon]

it reminds me of those people who use those flat escalators at airports and stand still when it's actually much faster just to walk.

[@maverickhistorian6488]

I used to work at an airport, and I used to stand still on the travelators to waste time. 😁

[@trevorjones4289]

Man lifts are still common place in US construction sites

[@jenniferunknown6600]

I guess if you were in a wheel chair you'd have an issue getting on

[@rykmat2542]

Yes. On the wheelchair, you have to use a regular elevator which is always nearby. But healthy people use the paternoster so your waiting time is a lot shorter.

[@ubet58]

First saw this in the movie "The Counterfeit Traitor"

[@erichotz]

I watched a documentary on these elevators. The guide in Germany assured the filmmaker that only around 1 person a year dies in them so it's OK.

[@fifi.871]

It's safe for ppl with mobility. If you can't get on fast enough, it is dangerous

[@itslexi_]

No its not. There are measures in place to make it safe for people who take more time to get on.

[@darioburstin2418]

Seems like your backpack could easily get trapped in it

[@itslexi_]

A back pack could be easily trapped in a modern elevator as well but in both it would likely be spotted by a sensor or bump the stop switch (which is the equivalent to the doors of modern elevators hitting something and reopening) Edit: and if it somehow DIDNT stop there is an emergency stop switch in each car

[@njm3211]

Scary

[@dreamsthatgotogether7553]

What if your backpack or scarf or something. Got caught through the bottom

[@kalvin1123]

Like an elevator equivalent to an escalator

[@charliecharliecharliecharl8554]

Looks dangerous

[@umayr2935]

Where are 'gonna report this to OSHA' comments now?

[@Visionery1]

From an efficiency point of view these are far superior to conventional elevators: they're extremely slender and don't take up much space in the building; if you have a 20-storey building you can transport roughly 80 people simultaneously (40 up AND 40 down). Two 40-person elevators would take up a huge amount of space, and while the 40 are being offloaded the lobby would fill up. The Paternoster is as "dangerous" as an escalator, where one's stepping on and off also needs to be timed. Stupidity and the fear of law suits probably caused these to be discontinued.

[@X-2357-GandalfTheGreen]

What kind of elevator doesn't allow access for disabled people? You couldn't use this if you were in a wheelchair or even a cane because you would be too slow. This design is stupid for the modern world.

[@grassytramtracks]

@@X-2357-GandalfTheGreen there should be a regular lift there too. Disabled people can't use stairs or (in some cases also) escalators, but they still exist and we (mostly) provide a lift there as well

[@circleinforthecube5170]

by idiots do you mean disabled people who could easily be trapped and killed in this contraption

[@bradchristy8429]

Escalators don’t cut people in half.

[@Moonlit2020]

"As dangerous as an escalator" escalators don't crush you if you take an extra second to get on or off

[@timw8646]

This won't work for handicap people and elderly or for large group of people

[@lalotime]

It goes WAY too fast.

[@AlecFlackie]

Sorry but anyone who has an accident with these lifts shouldn't really be allowed out of their home for safety reasons.

[@Puddlycake]

why did i think they would get compressed and loop back around like an escalator an if you stayed in you would get crushed 💀

[@Sokokido]

Cool they are not spacious but seems very convenient

[@ChrisWillan952]

There's one in Sheffield University Arts Tower

[@askquestionsplz]

extremely dangerous and a bad idea

[@jackmorris1068]

Isnt extremely dangerous at all unless you're a fool

[@moose9906]

Fricking death traps. The music should be the ride of the Valkyries....lol

[@erichotz]

Can elderly people use these? If you move slowly, you are not going to survive the trip.

[@internalinjectiontrulyhere770]

Middle boss

[@ianusgindea671]

Dose it has any safety mechanusm?

[@MiloslavBrada]

Yes, it does.

[@paulanderson7796]

There are a number of safety overrides incorporated. Trip wires to stop the whole thing should a limb be outside of the compartment. They're still not ideal - completely useless for disabled people.

[@urmo345]

Safety? what is "safety"?

[@azmagaref]

That's a waste of energy.

[@allenjamesrooney]

It's more efficient than an elevator unless the elevator generates electricity when the car descends.

[@hibuddywuzsup571]

00:48 Here is one reason why it's unsafe. A couple getting it with backpacks and the guy with his back to the opening barely missing the top lip.

[@MiloslavBrada]

Not dangerous at all. If he would hit the top barrier, there is a switch and the lift would immediately stop.

[@ricarleite]

Not very energy efficient, they never turn off

[@Nobli82]

Well, common sense and discipline are needed to use them, which people lack nowadays, that's why they are shut down for "safety concerns".

[@notsureiL]

Yup, most accidents happen when people try to bring things with them in the lift. We humans are way to stupid nowadays for paternosters.

[@gulin9640]

But… what if?

[@cecilbroom5652]

Looks like a good system. Here in the USA, the lawyers would find all sorts of reasons to cause trouble.

[@BradStandlee]

Can you imagine

[@Sorel366]

It's extremely unsafe. How many people were crushed i'd like to know.

[@danwoodhouse9290]

a paternoster is only unsafe if the public misuse it

[@robert3302]

None. They have safety guards and switches. The whole thing stops if someone is stupid enough to stick a body part in the wrong place.

[@uNcl55]

zero

[@一本のうんち]

My only concern is they don't look very power efficient.

[@ianmlclm7044]

It's not for people (or, God forbid, ill people)! It's for terminators!

[@theviking2877]

It only take one drunken dummy to ruin it for everyone. You need a door.

[@Victor-tl4dk]

Well only if people think irrationally and don't recognize that it was just one drunk dummy by low chance. But, hey, that's what's popular these days. One shooting in a 300 mil. country leads to "ban guns"! When in reality the gun fatality rate is lower than the estimated COVID vaccine rate. And yes one wrong doesn't excuse another, and the COVID vaccine saves lives while guns are mostly pointless imo, but I still think banning guns is another wrong. If people can't think in proportion we'll eventually ban hot coffee b/c some joker was going quickly and spilt it on something! and it happens with everything, guns, drones, bikes, etc. etc. etc.

[@Tyler_Memo]

That is so dangerous !

[@grassytramtracks]

Not really any different to an escalator - you can stop the limbs being wrenched off problem with sensors that will automatically stop the lift

[@alexvergara1487]

​@@grassytramtracks But these things don't even have them so they are just stupid and annoying. Dangerous especially for children.

[@MiloslavBrada]

@@alexvergara1487 You are wrong, there ARE safety switches. I have seen them several times being activated, the lift stops immediately.

[@1234jajadingdong]

Someone was just crushed and killed by one of these this week in Berlin btw…

[@matherman1111]

This elevator would make me lose my mind. Literally.

[@Snakelady-]

That's a nope from me! 😱

[@Themain1ofall]

Safety hazard, level DUMB

[@MrOrthopedia]

No, Americans don't have the same common sense as Europeans.

[@vince6473]

​@@MrOrthopedia if you trip over or fall unconscious due to an health issue you lose a leg or arm or you die. The old paternoster elevators are just very unsafe. Maybe some are updated to new safety standards with sensors and things.

[@circleinforthecube5170]

@@MrOrthopedia except modern american elevators are smarter and safer in almost every way and actually accommodate disabled people

[@karjalatakaisin]

@@circleinforthecube5170 Almost all lifts are modern in Europe too. These lifts are not built anymore and are only used in old government buildings and such places where most people don't have access anyway. But these lifts were the better solution back in the day where safety regulations were lighter.

[@theepicjack0543]

I think I built one of these in Minecraft

[@javedriaz6862]

No thank you I don't fancy riding on paternosters even if I never been on them before. Its creepy to ride on doorless moving elevator/lifts

[@javedriaz6862]

I think they are extremely dangerous. Very likely to risk being decapitated if not careful

[@itslexi_]

Paternosters still around WILL NOT decapitate you (they are not LIKELY to anyway, just like Modern Elevators they can make mistakes). They have sensors (Just like modren day elevators do) to tell if someone is only half way on or off the car and they will stop accordingly!

[@avjake]

What could possibly go wrong? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_elevator_accidents

[@ertianos]

Any of those with this elevator type?