The Lift Operator

There are four elevators in the building where I work now, two each to serve either wing of the building. There is no central elevator control system, and each elevator operates independently of the other in this old construction which houses many a company and organization. The most interesting part is, there are lift operators to operate each of these elevators. Their only job is to come in at 8 a.m. and ride their assigned elevator till 8 p.m.! Of course, they would have to press the buttons for the commuters who take the elevator to their respective floors. Their “job” was a source of amusement for me when I first relocated to this building. Here are some guys whose careers are going places, I thought. My colleagues and I always had a snide remark or the other about the elevator operators. They were the “heroes” of our comic stories. Whoa! Look!! It’s the “Lift Operator!” And he’ll take us to the next floor!!! What’s more! They even have chairs to sit on in front of the elevator panels. Most sit there pressing buttons, but one of them is just happy to doze off sitting on the chair, leaning forward, most of the days. He barely ever cares to find out which floors the people who enter want to go to, and never does he put his finger to the dreaded buttons on the elevator panel. Those few times he is not sleeping, his face is apt to be used in all of this world’s dictionaries for an illustration of the word ‘stupor’ – “this, here, is stupor.”

In a country like India where people are many, and education is discontinued very early because one needs to earn to eat, such are the only jobs available for some. Many among us may rather prefer to do manual labor than such jobs. We may like to do anything which stimulates our minds a bit rather than be a “lift operator,” which is as good as being brain dead, we might opine. As time passes though, I realize this is a job as far as the lift operators themselves are concerned, and just as any other, it pays them their livelihoods. And I admit, interestingly, there’s something that I have learnt from one of the lift operators.

There is this one operator who does his job wonderfully well in my opinion. He remembers the levels almost every regular (there must be a thousand at least working in the building) works at. He presses the right buttons without ever asking and takes us to our desired destinations. If you have a helmet in hand, he takes you to the basement. If you do not, he knows you just want to go for a walk or something, and stops at the ground level. He probably remembers which among the regulars ride two-wheelers to work, and which among them have cars (if you did not carry a helmet and left office from basement, you have to have a four-wheeler, silly!), and which ones take public transportation or any other means which requires them to get off at the ground level at the end of the day. I have no idea if these details are very easy to remember, I am a very forgetful person myself. There’s more, he is very efficient. He is lightning quick, quick to press the buttons, and quick to close the door of the elevator to get it moving after everyone has entered or left. By the time the dazed operator in the other elevator completes one round trip, this good fellow manages to complete three. Sooner or later, it warms your heart to see him doing his job. No matter how simple, he does a great job of it.

Now, I have always had trouble doing the routine tasks. Invariably, I loose my concentration, or interest, and make a hash of such tasks. No one who works as a software professional can say he or she has never done some routine stuff or the other as part of his or her job over the years. I can’t help but appreciate this particular lift operator for the commitment he has towards his job, probably the mother of all routine jobs. If I am half as committed towards my job as he is towards his, I am certain I will achieve a lot professionally.

So, thank you Mr. Lift Operator! I have seen many who work had and a few who have very important jobs, but you are the one who has taught me a thing or two which I will not forget. Moreover, how big can the difference be between someone who presses keys all day for a living and someone who presses buttons!