Where’s 13?

Where’s 13?

Why is it that in a number of tall buildings, when you go into an elevator, there is rarely a 13th-floor button to push? It usually skips from 12 to 14. Does that mean there is a 13th floor and no one is allowed to go there? What clandestine group has commandeered that floor and what are their nefarious plans? 

It’s easy to test the theory out as to whether there is a 13th floor or not. All you need is a stopwatch and make sure you are able to see the floor numbers as you pass them. The time between floors should be equal. So if there is a longer lag between the 12th and 14th floor, then there is something in between. You can also count windows from the ground outside and see if the number of floors matches the number of choices in an elevator. 

Once you have determined that there is this so-called 13th floor. Your next task, if you are daring enough, is to find out what goes on there. Not an easy task. 

One way is to get out on the 12th floor and try to find the stair alternative. Once you’ve found the stairs, just walk up one flight. Logically it should be 13. Having established that there is a 13th-floor through my timing method, if there are two flights of steps going to the next floor, then I would suggest there is something ominous going on and there is a secret entrance to that floor. This would also be the case if there was a door, but it needed a security badge or some other retina scan in order to open it. 

Then there’s the old pretending you’re a window washer and using scaffolding to get yourself up to the 13th floor from the outside. This requires more planning, equipment, permits (usually), and no fear of heights. This would allow you to look through the window to see what is going on, that is unless the windows are shaded or blocked, which in the case of a clandestine operation, they probably would be. 

Modern technology might make this a little simpler, just by using a drone. This method would probably be more obvious to an onlooker. Your task, however, is to be less apparent. 

You could always try a fire alarm approach. Pull one and just try to sneak in while everyone is running out. This method doesn’t give you very much time to explore. 

Assuming the reason there is no access to this floor is clandestine and dangerous, you might also want to have a good health insurance plan.

Then again, the reason there is no 13th floor might just be due to the superstition and paranoia of the owners or builders. In that case, there is nothing to explore.

Personally, if I was trying to create a secret operation and needed a whole floor to put it on, I would find a building that has no 13th floor, put my organization on the 14th floor (knowing, in reality, it is the 13th floor) and put in all the security options preventing others from accessing it. I mean, who’s going to be curious about the 14th floor? Nothing special about that.

Oops, I think I just gave away something I wasn’t supposed to talk about. I’m told I signed some sort of non-disclosure paper. Forget what I wrote. In tall buildings with multiple floors, there is no reason to explore what’s on the 14th floor. Nobody goes there.