Our building is being converted to house the C-suite on the top floors and we're is cheap as shit when it comes to the average employee so no improvement occurs unless there's an ulterior motive. God knows I've been there long enough to know that. Our Brooklyn office was only upgraded because they saw this change coming and knew that moving bankers there for training when homeless guys were wandering into the lobby and you risked being mugged every day walking to the train wouldn't fly anymore.

This time around I knew they would have to invent a way to control access to the top floors since the building doesn't have a dedicated elevator and it's always been anyone and everyone crowding into the elevator. Sure enough, we now have "smart" elevators which tell you which elevator to go to and what floor you're going to. No more buttons in the elevator and they're now covered with a giant metal box (since they had to retro-fit them).

Most tellingly, below the keypad is a scanner area where you can beep your badge. Not necessary right now, but once the new C-suite's occupied it's a damn good bet those will be activated.

Every banker I've run into, even the ones that have been around for years, think it's just so cool we have smart elevators. Every time I mention the real reason they're shocked and then go "Yeah, that DOES make sense." Damn I'm fucking cynical compared to everyone else, but I wonder how they never twig to the fact that this is business as usual. The peons don't matter, it's all about the holy bottom line and multi-millionaires being protected.

Maybe it's because I've always lived at the bottom of any given food chain. Maybe it's because I've unconsciously put myself there since I never felt worthy of anything else. Maybe it's because I see myself doing these things and regret not having changed it. On every level I'm just sad and angry, and that's life.