13th Floor facts
While investigating facts about 13th Floor, I found out little known, but curios details like:
13th Floor Elevators’ frontman Rocky Erickson was arrested for possession of a single joint, pleaded insanity to avoid a 10 year jail term, and so suffered 3 years of shock therapy and Thorazine treatment in state hospitals.
85% of the elevator panels created by Otis omit the 13th floor. Sometimes they use 12A or M (the 13th letter in the alphabet) or simply by skip it entirely. Some Chinese elevators skip 14, which sounds like “will certainly die” (實死), or 24 which sounds like “easy to die” (易死)
In my opinion, it is useful to put together a list of the most interesting details from trusted sources that I've come across. Here are 9 of the best facts about 13th Floor I managed to collect.
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Just like many American buildings exclude a 13th floor due to superstition, many buildings in Asia exclude floors with the number 4 in them, as the words for "four" and "death" are very similar in several East Asian languages
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Many skyscrapers have no 13th floor due to "triskaidekophobia", aka, a fear of the number 13
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In 1982, Roky Erickson, guitarist for the 13th Floor Elevators, declared in a written statement that he was an alien. He wanted to make sure he wasn't breaking any international laws. The statement was notarized.
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After entering an express elevator at approximately 11:00 p.m. on October 15, 1999, Nicholas White, became trapped after a brief power dip caused the elevator to stop between the 13th and 14th floors. White was not rescued until nearly 41 hours later.
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A good percentage of buildings in North America with elevators do not have a 13th floor as the number 13 is considered bad luck.
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Many multi-level buildings do not have a designated 13th floor due to superstition. They either rename the floor or skip to 14.
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The superstition regarding Friday the 13th may have arisen from Jesus' last supper w/ 13 individuals on the 13th floor, the eve before Good Friday.
