That's the position Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Enda Kenny found himself in on Wednesday.
Mr Kenny and two of his cabinet ministers were trapped between floors at a food plant in County Kildare.
A technician was called and the taoiseach and his colleagues were freed after a few minutes.
It put a downer on an event to mark the official opening of the new food technology centre.
But, looking at the upside, cabinet minister Jimmy Deenihan was heard to quip that the lift was "a good meeting room".
It is not the first time a top Irish politician has had their buttons pushed by temperamental transport.
In 2013, the then health minister, James Reilly and his colleague Kathleen Lynch were trapped in a lift for 15 minutes while touring a new health centre.
Politicians are used to having little room to manoeuvre, but political strategy is not much use when you are stuck in a lift.