Had a chance to step into one of the older British Era buildings 🏚 in the Fort area of Mumbai. Most buildings in this area were built during per-independence. As I stepped into the elevator, and surprised to find that there were no floor number buttons, instead there were just three buttons (one red and two black). To move you press the middle button, and to stop the top button – still not sure what the bottom button did. Below you could need the remnants of the older way of operating the elevator bearing the name Marryat Scott Ltd. This device was called as “Dead Mans” hand crank. Before floor buttons elevators were operated with such a crank. The job of the elevator operator involved mastering the timing on this crank. Because if the operator moved the crank too far, too fast, you could pass your floor, or get stuck between floors. They would have to jiggle it just right to get you to your destination. The elevator shaft was open without any grill for protection – not sure how these pass inspection 😟 .
Fort area itself maintains that historic charm. This picture of a little girl, fascinated with the fountain ⛲ epitomizes the historic era where tram 🚋 cars and fountains marked the streets of Bombay.