With two arms full of Bachelorette party decorations and adornments, I wasn’t about to push my way into a crowded elevator at TI in Las Vegas. Something about a huge penis straw poking out of my bag made it seem like close interaction with children might not be the best idea. I politely declined the invitation and said I would wait for the next elevator. Seconds later another one opened up and I got in.

I assumed everyone else heading up to floors 15-30 were at the pool or crowded around a craps table, because I was the only person who got on.

Ah, peace. In a place where you never really have a moment to yourself and the music is always loud or you are pushed up against another person, I felt like it was a nice retreat. I actually had space to move around and to set down my bags and just breathe.

The doors closed and I started to go up. A few seconds later the door chimed and stopped at my floor, number 25. I picked up my bags and then realized that nothing was happening. I’ve been in some old elevators before and just thought maybe I needed to press the open button, but to no avail. I pressed it again, this time with a little more urgency. Still, nothing happened. I decided to push another number on the elevator- maybe floor 26 would work and I could just get on another elevator down one floor. Nope. Nothing.

This is the moment when you start looking around- like, “is this really happening”… but with no one else inside, I felt a little silly rolling my eyes at nothing.

I push the close elevator, open elevator buttons. Nada. I didn’t want to push the emergency button, but I felt like I had no other choice. I closed my eyes and pushed it. Expecting a loud beeping noise or a red light to flash, my body tensed up slightly. But again, nothing happened. No alarm rang, no lights flashed, no one from security or the front desk came over the intercom.

This is were I kind of started to panic. All those gushy feelings about peaceful space and quiet sound tranquility were vanishing from my mind. I grabbed my phone- no service. DAMN YOU, AT&T!! Of course earlier when I was texting it worked just fine- now, in an emergency it was like I was at Area 51 and they were blocking transmission.

I started looking around for infer-red video monitoring and started waving my hands around. However, no one came, the elevator didn’t start moving, and I felt defeated.

Not really one of those girls who gets so drunk they walk around the hotel bare-foot, I wasn’t looking forward to being trapped in the elevator. I looked around the floor. It seemed okay- clean enough to sit down. Before doing so, I pushed a few more buttons- just for good measure- but nothing happened.

Anxiety was creeping in. I sat on the floor and decided to go through all the fun bachelorette things I bought. Pink sashes, headbands, flowered leis. We were going to have so much fun. Then it hit me that I might not get out of the elevator in time for dinner. I started to panic, and with all the party supplies draped around me, I started to cry. This wasn’t how my night was supposed to go!

I started yelling- “help”, “I’m stuck”, “can anyone hear me”! I kind of felt like I was in a scene from the Titanic and no one could hear me. That was also the moment that I thought about how much air supply was in there… and I stopped yelling.  (I also started humming My Heart Will Go On…)

I may be a little over dramatic…

Instead, I started pressing every single button over and over and over again. I’m sure that’s not the appropriate response and maybe that sends the wrong signal to the elevator- but I was willing to try anything.

Then, the elevator starts moving up. AH! I was moving! It went all the way up- without opening- and all the way back down to the spa level. The doors chimed (just as before), then opened, and I ran out of there.

To say I did a little victory dance at the spa would be an understatement. Hands were flying up- I was praying to the Vegas gods- I might have even twirled.

All said and done- I was stuck in the elevator for 28 minutes. 28 minutes with no response from anyone.

Have you ever been stuck in an elevator? What would your response be?