Taking a shuttle

Equitable Life Insurance Co, NYC
Postcard

I wonder


What is the world's most popular transportation company?


... therefore, I think!

Think, think hard my friends about your answer ... and one clue ... do not think cars! as in vehicle on the road.

If your answer is OTIS, you win.

If you are puzzled by the answer think as in vertical shuttle ! as in to go from ground floor to which ever floor you are going to. Apparently, it is estimated that the equivalent of the world's population travels in Otis elevators, escalators or moving walkways every three to nine days! Now, you are surprised, aren't you?

A parenthesis on history: 

Elisha Otis invented in 1852 a special mechanism to lock the elevator car in place should the hoisting cable fail. The following year,  Otis founded an elevator company under the name Union Elevator Works, which later was renamed Otis Brothers & Co. Today, the company is owned by the United Technology Company.

Just in case, you have never paid attention while you were in an elevator, here is to refresh your memory:

There is life before and after the OTIS elevator.

Before: 

no skyscrapers. Rent was more expensive on floors below (that has changed) and revenues of business on top floors were also lower since fewer people were going up ... Stair cases were dark and narrow, not too convivial for anyone ... 

After:

Well ... in 1868, the Equitable Life Assurance Co. thought about it carefully and having prime location at the corner of Broadway and Cedar Street in NYC, launched a competition (architecture) for a new building that would have to have a passenger elevator ... and that was it. They kept the lower floors for their business and rented the top floors at the maximum price selling the fact that there was lighter, fresh air, less noise from the street and a better view! That was a radical new idea !

The elevator has completely changed are way of living! Today, the cream of the cream is on top floor that is for housing, offices or stores. Just to give you an idea, here are some famous building that have Otis elevators: the Eiffel Tower (Paris, France), Empire States Building (NYC, USA), Petronas Twin Tower (Malaysia), CN Tower (Toronto, Canada), Skylon Tower (Niagara Falls, Canada), and Burj Khalifa (Dubai).

Bet you will check next time you take the vertical shuttle just to see if it is an OTIS !