Stuck Between Floors: How Elevator Algorithms Make Us Wait… and Wait… and Wait | by Shrutika Poyrekar | Medium
After years of chasing data and dissecting algorithms that power everything from fraud detection to machine learning, I never expected my biggest frustration with technology would come from something as old-school as an elevator. But here we are, living the dream on the 60th floor of one of the tallest buildings in Abu Dhabi, staring out at the sea — just as I imagined as a kid growing up in Mumbai. The view? Spectacular. The reality? Less so, especially when getting up and down the building. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’ve worked with complex models that make neural networks seem like child’s play. But elevators? They take the cake. Six shiny, large machines split across floors 1–32 and 33–60, and yet, despite all the apparent engineering marvels, I’m stuck waiting for them every day. With all our technological advancements, it's as if we’ve somehow forgotten how to move people efficiently between floors. Let me paint you a picture. You’re waiting on G (Ground Floor), innocently pressin