The Elevator



The Elevator refers to the elevator in the apartment building where Sheldon, Leonard and Penny live in and which has been out of order since four years before the series began, although Leonard once said two years previously. It has been broken ever since Leonard tested out an experimental rocket fuel formula which began to explode, with Sheldon saving Leonard's life after he tried to take outside by going down the elevator but was stopped by Sheldon closing the elevator after taking Leonard out.

Ever since Penny moved in, she has needed to take the stairs instead using the broken elevator. Many people new to the building have tried to go in the elevator, before realising it is broken, such as Zac and Beverly Hofstadter, although she was merely wondering why it hadn't been fixed. Howard once tried to fix the elevator, but upon inspection gave up immediately.