86
The "Good old days"
When america was "Great".
Belgium, 1920s
when America was great
Got to love that US defaultism
My bad. When I see something horrible I just assume it's the US. That is indeed short sighted.
oh but don't fret, in the US this could be the future as well!
The sentiment is correct anyways!
My god.*
So basically... literal wage slaves? (like "shudra"/"dalit")
And it's still going on today, no? FML
* just an expression, used with some permission
They don't stay there - the elevator is just tiny.
I should hope an elevator like that wouldn't pass humanitarian or safety inspections in developed countries today.
They call the US a developed country, and I’d bet that there are a number of ~~companies~~ agencies who are ~~dying~~ killing to bring back those tiny elevators in the name of Efficiency.
We're doing progress, but in reverse!
So congress. Got t. 👍
Judging by the other person in the thread, the workers are just in a hurry to get home and are choosing to over pack to get out quicker. If you want some elbow space, wait at the back. It honestly doesn't look much different from elevators at any office building, but at least miners physically can't WFH.
No wonder the volunteered for military service.
It's end of shift. You cram into the bottom level of the tiny cage lift with 30 of your closest friends. Just as the lift starts to go up, there's a woosh and the car drops down into the service pit, up to the second level of the lift. All sides are solid rock. An explosion far above, then a long splattering noise as 3000 feet of steel rope drops onto the roof of the cage. The cage roof gives in under the weight of nearly 5 tons of steel wire and the bundle slips into the top level, slowly crushing the men there. First a trickle, then a waterfall of blood cascades down through the cage as the screaming, gurgling men above are crushed. You are crouched, knees up to your chest, shoulder to shoulder with the other men in the cage. No prospect of standing, stretching, or moving. The air is already heavy and wet with coal dust and the close breaths of the other survivors on your level. There is no trace of light, only a pure and compressed darkness. It will be hours before any rescue reaches the cage, if any is coming at all.
Like how do they board and deboard? Move it flush with the ground for each level?
Work at an underground mine, and the answer is yes. The hoist is operated by a person that has manual control of the cage and there is a cage tender that uses a belling system to tell the hoist operator what to do. The people hoist at mine is 3 tiers, but somewhere around 10-14 feet height of standing room for each tier and with full doors so you can't fall out.
I imagine they squeeze themselves in and out.
Squeeze yes, I'm talking if they have to jump down (or jump up to load).
I would imagine so. What's a little twice-daily six foot drop on the knees of these poor bastards up top?
But maybe it chugged down one level at a time to avoid potential collisions from dropping workers. Can't say that I'm well-read on the subject - or that I really know anything about the subject at all other than that safety regulations in the past were utter dogshit.
I bet they were mining for karma on Reddit.
If you want to know how stuffed a cage can be, try boarding a mine cage after the shift is over, everyone wants to get out as soon as possible. People at the back usually take bracing stances because the shit will be squeezed out of them. Ours we stand, no squatting, but there are still two or three levels.
No thanks, I'll take the stairs instead.
Why does he take his shoes off. Even if this is someone’s apartment, wouldn’t you take your shoes after after climbing the stairs?
this post was submitted on 01 Sep 2025
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