Stairs Are Faster/Playing With

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


  • Basic Trope: The elevator takes too long, so the character takes the stairs instead.
  • Played Straight: On the run from Bob, Alice pushes the button for the elevator, but when Bob catches up, she takes the stairs instead.
  • Exaggerated: The elevator takes 3 hours to go up one floor.
  • Downplayed: Alice waits one second for the elevator before taking the stairs down one floor.
  • Justified: Bob was seconds away from catching up to Alice so she had no time to wait.
    • Alternatively: The elevator was out of order.
    • Which floor the elevator is located at is displayed at the doors - Alice may have seen that all the elevators are too far away from her floor. Alternatively, there may be other people in the building chasing her - taking the elevator would mean Bob can tell his accomplices what floor she's at (especially if there's a chance one of them has access to a fire alarm, which would disable all elevators where they are and leave Alice a sitting duck).
  • Inverted: Alice starts to take the stairs, but ends up taking the elevator instead.
  • Subverted: Bob is just about to catch up to Alice when the elevator door opens.
  • Double Subverted: But the elevator is full so Alice ends up taking the stairs.
  • Parodied: The elevator door opens seconds after Alice leaves to take the stairs.
  • Zig Zagged: Alice switches back and forth between stairs and the elevator.
  • Deconstructed: In a rush to get away from Bob, Alice trips and breaks her leg.
  • Reconstructed: When Bob catches up, Alice catches him by surprise by kicking him where it hurts with her other foot.
  • Averted: The elevator door instantly opens giving Alice no problem.
  • Enforced: ???
  • Lampshaded: "Damn these elevators are slow! I could be at the bottom by the time this thing gets up here"
  • Invoked: ???
  • Exploited: Bob's accomplices are waiting for her in the stairway.
  • Defied: Alice refuses to take the stairs and fights off Bob while waiting for the elevator.
  • Discussed: ???
  • Conversed: "Isn't it funny how elevators take the longest when characters need it the most?"
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