Story 1: Circa 2000. A fourth tier college in a third-tier city. They (the school and city) are gearing up for entrance of One-child Policy children into the university system. The schools had been ordered a couple years earlier to raise admission rates, build new infrastructure (classrooms, dorms, etc.) to support the influx.
I arrived at the college in 1998 and no building was taller than 6 stories, though they had a secret area on the roof 7th floor of the admin building. the reason being that building codes at the time mandated any building over 6 stories had to have an elevator. Six floors or less-the Chinese version of ADHC (Help for the handicapped) didn't apply.
So with city funds, they raised a 10 story building in 2 years complete with lots of space for classrooms (and a huge, useless 4 story atrium), and tacked on a single elevator to meet code. Six floors of classrooms with one, single elevator.
One elevator for a ten-story multi-use classroom/admin building just to satisfy code. This is in 2000.
The first day of new classes in that building, I'm waiting in the scrum at that single elevator. Three-by-three students begin to leave and decide to use the stairs. Their English wasn't good enough to mutter, "Fuck this!" but by that time my Chinese was good enough to know that's what they were saying.
I'm saying, "Fuck this," to myself, but under my breath.
And, "No way I'm climbing 7 flights to my next class. Class can be late. My students are still probably trudging up the stairs"
As the next flight down opens, and the mass exits, I find myself actually inside the next flight up. Old Professor Liu happens to be there, too. He's taught at that school for 25 years. He turns to me and says, "I saw you waiting in line. Do you need help with this? Just push the button for the floor you need to go to. Isn't this a great addition to our school!?!?"
"Yes," I mutter.
Further under my breath: "We have elevators in the U.S., and we'd certainly have more than one or two for a building like this." I decide to file this moment away for future use. That future use is now.
He wasn't FAO or Admin., just a nice old man, soon to retire, that was awe-inspired by the changes to "his" school and trying to be helpful and welcoming to the younger (then) FT.
Elevator-use in China over the last 15 years would make an interesting research topic in mapping China's development in recent years.