I have, and I find them convenient and awesome, not terrifying. Next time you use them, take a closer look at the safety features. The obvious pinch points tend to be secured with sensors that trigger an emergency stop and breakaway panels.
In the very beginning, about one second in, you can see the static part of the floor going towards the cabin is a moveable board. Likewise, the "do not stand forward of this line" part of the cabin visible later is a flap that prevents the bottom of the cabin from squishing someone while going down.
The main risks are falling (note the gap between e.g. the entry floor board and the top of the cabin, or the floor of the cabin and the shaft wall), injuries from failed attempts to transport bulky items, and if you go through the top/bottom, there are gears that you can stick your hand into. But as long as you're not intentionally doing something stupid, there really is no reason to be terrified of them.
See for example this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgJBD1wf-YQ
In the very beginning, about one second in, you can see the static part of the floor going towards the cabin is a moveable board. Likewise, the "do not stand forward of this line" part of the cabin visible later is a flap that prevents the bottom of the cabin from squishing someone while going down.
The main risks are falling (note the gap between e.g. the entry floor board and the top of the cabin, or the floor of the cabin and the shaft wall), injuries from failed attempts to transport bulky items, and if you go through the top/bottom, there are gears that you can stick your hand into. But as long as you're not intentionally doing something stupid, there really is no reason to be terrified of them.
Now, a manlift https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belt_manlift or man engine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_engine... that's terrifying.