Placeholder Image

Subtitles section Play video

  • Lonely Planet presents how to survive a free-falling elevator.

  • Contrary to what you heard in the school yard as a child, do not attempt to jump just before landing.

  • The reduction in force will be so small as to be insignificant.

  • Instead, if you have bags or suitcases with you, stack them up and stand as high as you can.

  • Create whatever space possible between you and the floor to allow your body time to decelerate once the elevator lands.

  • If there are handrails, spread your weight across them to help slow the rate of impact.

  • If the elevator is small or crowded, brace yourself by standing with slightly bent knees.

  • In either scenario, the key word is "survive".

  • Your extremities may not forgive you anytime soon, but your vital organs will send you flowers and a thank you card.

  • To learn to avoid such a predicament yourself as well as how to overcome nuclear explosions, bumping into your ex,all you can eat buffets, a zombie attack, getting kidnapped, a job you hate, hangovers, a failed parachute, writer's block and more, get your own copy of Lonely Planet's How To Survive Anything.

  • A visual guide to laughing in the face of adversity.

  • Available at lonelyplanet.com.

Lonely Planet presents how to survive a free-falling elevator.

Subtitles and vocabulary

Click the word to look it up Click the word to find further inforamtion about it