Elevators are one of the most popular transportation methods in the world. Every day, millions of people ride elevators to reach their destinations. Most elevators have a maximum of 12 floors, and many people wonder why they don’t have a 13th floor. We are here to answer this question and provide some interesting facts and history behind the 13th floor.
The History Of The 13th Floor
The 13th floor has a long and mysterious history. The first recorded reference to the 13th floor dates back to an 1885 article in the Chicago Tribune. In this article, the 13th floor was described as a place “where no one lives and no one will work.”
The superstition surrounding the 13th floor likely dates back to the ancient Babylonian and Norse religions, which had a fear of the number 13. In Norse mythology, the 13th day of the week (Tuesday) was considered unlucky. This superstition was brought to the United States by immigrants from Europe.
How Elevators Were Designed
The design of most elevators is based on the concept of “skip-stop,” which means that the elevator will only stop at certain floors. The idea behind this is that it is faster and more efficient for the elevator to skip over some floors, rather than stopping at all of them.
One of the most common skip-stop designs is the 13-story elevator. This type of elevator will have 12 floors, but the 13th floor is skipped over. This is done for both practical and superstitious reasons.
Why Do Elevators Skip The 13th Floor?
There are several reasons why elevators skip the 13th floor. The most obvious reason is superstition. Many people believe that the number 13 is unlucky and so they don’t want to risk having an elevator that stops at the 13th floor.
Another reason is practicality. If an elevator stops at the 13th floor, it will take longer for it to reach its destination. This is because the elevator will have to make an extra stop.
Finally, some buildings may have an odd number of floors and so they may simply choose to skip the 13th floor, rather than having an elevator that stops at an odd number of floors.
What Do Elevators Do Instead Of Stopping On The 13th Floor?
Rather than stopping on the 13th floor, most elevators will simply skip over it and go directly to the 14th floor. This is done for both practical and superstitious reasons.
Some elevators may also use a different numbering system. For example, some elevators may label the 13th floor as the 12A floor. This allows the elevator to skip over the 13th floor, while still keeping the number of floors consistent.
Are There Any Buildings With A 13th Floor?
Yes, there are some buildings that do have a 13th floor. These buildings are often found in larger cities and are typically newer buildings. The 13th floor in these buildings may be labeled differently, such as 12A or M, to avoid any superstitious associations.
Conclusion
The 13th floor has a long and mysterious history, and is often associated with superstition. However, the main reason why most elevators don’t stop on the 13th floor is due to practicality. Elevators are designed to be as efficient as possible, and so they often skip over the 13th floor in order to reach their destinations faster. There are some buildings that do have a 13th floor, however, and these are typically found in larger cities.