Going for your first ride in a self-driving elevator in old-time Phoenix


Time-travel with me, and let's go for a ride in the latest technology - an elevator without an operator. I've been reading about them, and they're the latest thing. We're in Phoenix, Arizona so bigger cities have been doing it for a long time. Do you trust me?

I really don't know what year this is. Phoenix had elevators with people operating them for a very long time, and there may even be people who are reading this blog who saw them in real life. I've only seen them in movies.

Anyway, here we are at the elevator. I understand that all you have to do is push a button, and the elevator door will automatically open up. The two buttons are "Up" and "Down". Hang on, let me check my notes. Yep! That's it. We're on the ground floor, and I have no interest in going to the basement, so let's push the "Up" button.

Sure! You can do it, just push the button. When the elevator is ready, it will go "ding"! At least I think that's what it will do. The doors will open, and there won't be anyone inside. It's all done automatically. We just ride.

Looks like we're attracting a crowd. I can hear people wondering what we're doing. I think I heard "You'll never catch me going into one of those things!", and "No one's driving, what happens in an emergency?"

Ding!

The doors are open, all we have to do is walk in. I understand that there will be more buttons in there, and if you want to go to a particular floor, you push the button with that number on it. Come on!

Yes, I'll walk in first. I hear people in the crowd gasping in amazement and fear. And if you're wondering why I'm so confident, it's because I'm a time-traveler. I've been to the future, when this sort of thing is just taken for granted.

Yes, you can hold my hand. Here we go!
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