I tried this on my first trip to 60 Hudson (a "famous" carrier hotel in Manhattan). We needed to remove a Cisco 2600 router. It's smaller than a pizza box. It fits in a backpack. I carried it under my arm.

As I step out of the elevator and into the lobby, the front desk person goes "you can't remove that equipment".

No worries, I anticipated this and have all the relevant removal paperwork. He is uninterested.

"you can't remove equipment using the passenger elevators"

But, I am in the lobby. The door is less than 20 steps. I already rode the elevator down.

"you must use the freight elevator. that is the law."

OK, I'll go back upstairs and use the freight elevator. Where is it?

"you can't operate it. you need an elevator operator"

OK, where should I wait for them? can you call one for me?

At this point, let me tell you it is Easter weekend.

"they do not work weekends, and it is a holiday weekend. they are $160/hr, minimum 4 hours, and it is double time on the weekend, plus time and a half for holidays"

OK, I'll just put it back. This piece of equipment is barely worth $400. Then I proceeded to go up the elevator, back to the datacenter, go inside, put the router in my backpack, and go back out.

And at the lobby was one of NYC finest, with one of the security people, who kindly asked me what was in my backpack. Then asked to search it. Do you have a warrant?

"I don't need a warrant. I'll just take you down to the precinct and open it there. You sure you don't have any weed in there, Mr. California?"

I went back up, put the router in the cage, went back downstairs, and used every ounce in my body not to flip the building security and his cop buddy the bird, akimbo style.