Rich Does not Equal Smart

One of our most esteemed residents of the Towers had a cocktail party last Friday evening. The glitterati of Kansas City were invited. (Even dear little Pato was invited!) The names coming spoke of money, world famous businesses, generous donors and people accustomed to seeing large buildings named in their honor.

But for the most part, they are dolts. Case in point:

The Towers has its original 1915 elevator cab with updated mechanicals...updated to 1947 standards. Actually she works fine; the old DC current mechanics are so simple that nothing breaks down. The hemp guide rope is stronger than most steel cables. She does, however, have a couple of quirks. Due to her small size and age she is restricted to 1000lbs. This means no more than 3-4 people at a time. The old fashioned mechanical brakes will not level at the floors if there is too much weight. The cab will slide past the floor a foot or two. She also has a metal folding gate that closes and locks automatically but has to be opened manually at your destination.

Simple enough?

I wanted to put a small sheet of paper explaining these rules on the elevator but I was vetoed: 1) I was told no one would read it and 2) it had to be framed (rich people can't see loose sheets of paper, it is just not aesthetically pleasing). So they had to receive instructions on how to use the elevator from a live person. Even then they screwed everything up and at one point 6 people were on the elevator and it slid past the floor. They threw a ruckus.

So, if these are the high and mighty, the royalty of America, the captains of industry, the elite, the powerful, why then can't they take the time to read simple instructions, remember simple instructions and have some common sense? (Of course, common sense is really not all that common.) They expect their minions to know everything, to read every word they pen and know how to handle every situation. Maybe the richer you are the less you think?

So employees of many of KC's biggest employers here is a little tip: you have the right not to read signs and instructions and memos your bosses put out. They certainly don't. And if it is not framed or engraved, ignore it.