Deliveryman Stuck in Elevator for 3 Days

[icymist]

Apr 6, 8:43 AM EDT

Deliveryman Stuck in Elevator for 3 Days

By TOM HAYS
Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Ming Kuang Chen was written off after vanishing Friday night while making a delivery for Happy Dragon restaurant at a high-rise apartment building.

As police conducted a massive search and days passed, speculation grew that the 35-year-old Chen was the victim of armed bandits or some other urban horror in the Bronx borough.

But more than three days later, the deliveryman emerged with a mean thirst and a tale of survival: He had been stuck by himself in an elevator the whole time, without food or water. He was pulled out at about 5 a.m. Tuesday - 80 hours later - by firefighters responding to a security officer's call for help from the high-rise.

<snip>

Chen - an undocumented immigrant from the Fujian Province in southeastern China who speaks mostly Mandarin - apparently tried to tell rescuers how long he had been trapped by circling his watch dial with his finger numerous times, said Charlie Markey, a Fire Department spokesman.

<snip>

An investigation on Tuesday determined that the security camera and alarm system in the elevator were working. But security officers told police they didn't hear or see Chen until security workers responded to his calls early Tuesday. Chen said his pleas using the intercom were answered, but that the language barrier was too great.

(more)

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MISSING_DELIVERYMAN?SITE=WABEJ&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[callous taoboy]

1. Hope the food wasn't too salty.

Chinese food makes for a "mean thirst."

[DS1]

2. Definitely lounge material

/ $.02

[youspeakmylanguage]

3. If the intercom was working...

...why did it take three days for Chen to use it or for the rent-a-cops to respond?

Also, will the man now be arrested for illegal immigration and shipped back to China?

Inquiring minds want to know...

[SheepyMcSheepster]

4. the "language barrier was too great" is what the article says

" Chen said his pleas using the intercom were answered, but that the language barrier was too great."

[youspeakmylanguage]

10. I assumed panic was fairly universal...

Screaming and banging on walls doesn't require translation.

[SheepyMcSheepster]

13. oh yeah, i agree

i was just pointing out what the article said.
i would assume that a guy trapped in an elevator would make enough of a nuisance that someone would actually check it out.

:shrug:

[fryguy]

5. wonder if he will now faces deportation

article points out that he's an "undocumented immigrant", wouldn't suprise me if DHS makes a visit to the resturaunt.....what an unfortunate situation - an immigrant working to make a life for himself and tips off the authorities by gettin stuck in the evelator...

[KurtNYC]

6. He paid $60,000 to get into the US?!

Cops soon descended on the complex, fearing he'd been robbed or abducted by smugglers he had paid $60,000 to sneak him into the country.
...
{regarding the guard who ignored his intercom calls:}"I wanted to find that security guard and hit him," he said.

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/297169p-254380c.html

[DistressedAmerican]

7. I Read 4 Yesterday. Is It A Cover-Up? Who Knew And When?

[GiovanniC]

8. How Long Can a Chinese Food Deliveryman Survive

On fortune cookies and cat alone?

[youspeakmylanguage]

11. cat?

WTF are you talking about?

[GiovanniC]

14. Did I Say Cat? I Meant Chinese Food.

Slip of the tongue.

:evilgrin:

[Patiod]

17. My SO meows whenever we walk by the kitchen doors

in Chinatown. Mean spirited and politically incorrect, but funny.

[Zuni]

24. ROFLMAO

I remember I was visiting a friend in New Jersey and there was a Chinese restaurant right next door to a Veterinarians office

[youspeakmylanguage]

18. Pretty funny...

Do you pull the corners of your eyes back and laugh hysterically as well?

Seriously, though, that was a little insensitive, don't you think?

[GiovanniC]

22. No, Actually I Don't Think It Was Insensitive

But thanks for asking.

[youspeakmylanguage]

19. ...

DU posted this four times...

[youspeakmylanguage]

20. ...

DU posted this four times...

[youspeakmylanguage]

21. ...

DU posted this four times...

[AllegroRondo]

9. Did the customer get $3 off the order?

it was more than 30 minutes late

[youspeakmylanguage]

12. He made the delivery before getting stuck...

He didn't have anything to eat.

[Radio_Lady]

15. I was stuck in the elevator at the Sheraton Needham hotel near Boston --

I talked with the operator on the telephone for almost the whole time. Luckily the lights and music were on. I sat on the carpeted floor and cleaned out my purse. The firefighters rescued me. The elevator was about 10 - 15 inches below the level of the lobby floor.

I am a claustrophobe but managed to keep my wits about me. Oh, and I forgot to mention -- I was coming from a job interview on an upper level. P.S. I didn't get the job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

[Catchawave]

16. Something strange.....

saw this on the news and looked like a really nice building. So wouldn't they know one of their elevators wasn't working? Especially that the security features were working?

I wonder if this was some kind of mean joke from the weekend security crew?

I hate elevators :scared:

[flamingyouth]

23. My own personal worst nightmare.

:scared: