I don't know the context that occurs before this scene in Leverage... but the whole time I was watching the comical moment unfold in the video clip I saw earlier, I was like... why doesn't Mark's character just get off the elevator after being stopped after a couple floors? I mean... I would've done that if I was trying to get somewhere.
Unless there was some race going on between Mark's character and the other guy - who reaches the destination faster, the one taking the elevator or the one taking the stairs? *shrugs*