[Prospero]

Used to be a whole lot worse. In the early 70's I worked an eight hour shift, from 11 PM to 7 AM sitting in an elevator in the back of the building, and I'd go a whole shift without seeing a single person. Ostensibly, we were working for the Architect of the U.S. Capitol, but it was pure patronage, in my case at the behest of sometimes two different U.S. Representatives.

Had to have a good book to read.

With the semi-automatic knob, often the best idea was to put the cab between floors and try to sleep, hunched up in the corner and half balanced on the little seat.

Those days are gone, with all but a few "Members Only" cars operating between the office buildings and the respective Floors, often only when Congress is in Session.

That's not to say there isn't plenty of patronage positions and port in the U.S. Congress billion dollar annual budget. There are whole cities out of view up there, with the third largest police force in the world.

[ladyjane]

IIRC Mike Barnacle used to be an elevator operator in the Senate Office building. He said that many senators would take a young lady in the elevator and by the time they got to the correct floor the name OTIS would be imprinted on the lady’s backside.