Elevator “close door” buttons
Sometimes, a person will tell me a minor fact, perhaps raise a small question, and the idea lingers in my mind for years. It’s like the last grain of rice on your plate that you can’t stab with your fork.
One such unsettled item of mine is the elevator “close door” button. A few years ago, Ben told me that they’re a placebo. He said the elevator companies put them there just to give impatient riders the sense that things are moving along faster than they actually are.
Every time I step in an elevator, I think about this. Lord knows why. Tonight, I went out on the Web looking for a few answers, and unfortunately, I can’t report back with a truly definitive answer. But I can tell you that others have wondered about this, too!
Probably the best summary of explanations for the “close button issue” is this:
[H]aving consulted with various elevator repairmen, I would say that apparent CDB [close door button] nonfunctionality may be explained by one of the following:
The button really does work, it’s just set on time delay.
Suppose the elevator is set so that the doors close automatically after five seconds. The close-door button can be set to close the doors after two or three seconds. The button may be operating properly when you push it, but because there’s still a delay, you don’t realize it.
- The button is broken. Since a broken close-door button will not render the elevator inoperable and thus does not necessitate an emergency service call, it may remain unrepaired for weeks.
- The button has been disconnected, usually because the building owner received too many complaints from passengers who had somebody slam the doors on them.
- The button was never wired up in the first place. One repair type alleges that this accounts for the majority of cases. In other words, the whole thing is a total scam. Watergate, Iran-contra, and now this. And they wonder why we’ve lost faith.
In the course of looking for information, I also found two interesting tidbits:
- How to “hack” an elevator—force it to go directly to your floor without making any stops
- How to “hack” a crosswalk button—force it to change from “don’t walk” to “walk” immediately (and the traffic light, too, thankfully)
p.s. In using the word “hack,” I’m parroting these other sites. Talk about overuse of the term. It’s a hidden f’ing feature!
January 23rd, 2006 at 5:37 pm
I’m submitting this to MythBusters.
January 23rd, 2006 at 9:52 pm
The “crosswalk button” hack, after a couple of clicks, led me to BBSpot which is a humor site like The Onion.
http://www.bbspot.com/News/2005/06/crosswalk_button_hacks.html
So much for that, mate. :)
January 23rd, 2006 at 11:47 pm
Bothered by the elevator close button
From a delay that makes the button essentially seem useless, to scams, this guy is somewhat peeved by the
Elevator Close Button. Read on, as this guy claims to be pretty good at wasting your time.
January 25th, 2006 at 7:05 am
Personaly, I hate the close-door button…
Because, when I want to, urgency, re-open the door when a guy (or a nice girl…) arrive, I press on the wrong button, the close door button instead the open!!! So the effect is not this one I have attemped…
Why???
I think I have the explanation.
This is due of an optical effect:
../|.|\…seem’s closer than:.|\…/|
./.|.|.\………………………..|.\./.|
.\.|.|./………………………..|./.\.|
..\|.|/…………………………|/…\|
(this is more obvious in front of the buttons)
.. And my little brain make the link between the closer button, and the close door action.
Is there any body agree with me, or does I need to see my analyst???
January 25th, 2006 at 11:14 am
ericdt45, I just want to congratulate you for the first piece of ASCII art ever posted in underscorebleach.net’s comments.
January 26th, 2006 at 2:04 am
The Elevator Button Conspiracy
January 26th, 2006 at 3:00 pm
Small talk
After Vita de Vie has found a new basist, yesterday I decided not to go anymore to my physics prep. (was sooo tired) and I haven’t even called my teacher to tell her that, probably because I’m still kind of in a doubt whether I should go or…
February 26th, 2006 at 5:20 am
Elevator ‘close’ button
In the building where I’m currently working, I think I’ve found the first “close doors” button on an elevator that actually does something.
I might have come across one other elevator where the close button causes the doors to…
March 12th, 2006 at 6:39 pm
So here’s the thing, I propse that we all go enmass and test out these wonderful ideas! We will need two teams of 3, two seperate buildings with ‘Otis’ elevators, four stop watches, pens and paper.
So what cha think, game?
May 30th, 2006 at 11:19 am
Actually the elevator door close buttons do have a function. Different manufacturers treat them differently. Some will actually cancel door dwell time when the elevator is on automatic. Others will shorten hall-call time to car call time.
Generally the door close button is used on functions other than automatic (Independant Service, Fire Service, etc.)
July 20th, 2006 at 5:47 am
I suppose an open door button would be useful if you were trying to get a wheelchair or something in and the door closed too soon.