h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've been thinking about that pretty often too...

If it happans, you could try to tilt the elevator in the shaft decreasing the acceleration. To do this you would have to move to one of the corners of the elevator. I don't know really if the weight of a (normal) human being could force a tilting, but in such a situation it is worth a try.

By the way: In Buenos Aires (Argentina) it is very likely that you are confronted with such a situation. Many buildings were erected in the early 20ies and many elevators were not maintained ever since. I read an article (I really don't remember where or when) about an increase of elevator-crash-cases in Buenos Aires... That's when I started wondering.

Well I've been thinking and have decided that if you were to jump in a falling LIFT then each time you jump you would fall a greater distance because the floor has fallen down a few metres from when you jumped. This would have little effect until the lift reaches the bottom and your legs make a landing on a surface that is not moving down with you and you therefore break both of your legs due to the sudden decrese in velocity and the impact of jumping, as well as suffering as bad but mabie worse than if you hadn't jumped at all.

I'd say (or at least my friend'd say) Climb outta the top of the lift and hang onto the support beams or jump onto venting ducts, or ledges, which would enable you to survive, but posibly be stuck on the nth floor with noone to help you, or to open the doors to let you out!
Either that, or you'll be dead as a doornail