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

I think that probably the best job in the world would be a lift operator, you know, like in a department store or apartment building or something. This is an attractive occupation to me mostly because I would get to wear one of those sweet-awesome red uniforms with the little hat and the coat with brass buttons. Unfortunately, lift operators are a dying breed because what with all this new-fangled technology, they've invented lifts with the big light-up buttons so the people can reach their desired floor without assistance. I just read that there are pretty much two buildings in the US that still have manually operated elevators that employ attendants. Some place in Minnesota and some place in New York. However, they are apparently common in Japan, but that's not much use to me.

In the building where the library at which I am currently employed is temporarily located due to construction work on the actual library building, there is an old manual elevator. This is actually the first old time elevator I have seen in real life. It's got the doors you pull open and a little lever thing to make it move. I've used it a couple times, it's pretty cool. It's a little confusing because sometimes I can't quite remember how to properly close the doors, I'm never certain that I've latched it right.

Do lift operators get tipped? I'm not sure. That would be another perk. I bet that those red uniforms have lots of little pockets in which to place your tips. I also love coats with neat little pockets hidden away.

Here, I just found this:
http://www.careerplanner.com/DOT-Job-Descriptions/ELEVATOR-OPERATOR.cfm

This is one of my favourite segments from The Late Late Show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1h9IvXWHv_A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5B64_5mrhw

When we visited New York years ago, my family used to stay in the Alcott Hotel, which basically hadn't been renovated since the '60s. It had manual lifts with operators. You didn't tip them, but I suppose you might tip some in certain circumstances. I'm not sure if that building still has manual lifts though, since they renovated it a few years ago.

Did they have sweet-awesome red uniforms?

Um, I don't remember. They might well have, though.