4 ms·

This reminds me of an elevator's "Door Close" button. Manufacturers still include them for the peace of mind of passengers, despite computerized systems and man

This reminds me of an elevator's "Door Close" button. Manufacturers still include them for the peace of mind of passengers, despite computerized systems and many area laws (in the US, the ADA has language regarding door-open timespan for wheelchair access). EDIT: Thanks to a_c_s for pointing out that the button can work when the elevator is in emergency/service mode. More fun information on elevators, crosswalk and other buttons can be found here: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/28/us/placebo-buttons-elevators-crosswalks.html https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/28/us/placebo-buttons-elevat...

majewsky 8y ago
In my office (in Germany), when the elevator door opens and I hold the "close door" button, it immediately starts closing as soon as it's finished opening. So at least that one is definitely not a placebo.
- CM30 8y ago
  Same here in the UK. Both the close and open buttons work immediately after being pressed in my office, so they're clearly not placebos.
a_c_s 8y ago
The door close button is used when the elevator is in fire service mode (where all actions are manually activated)
- skaomatic 8y ago
  Interesting - and makes sense! A detail missed by my tour at the Elevator History Museum in New York, NY. [elevatorhistory.org]
gadders 8y ago
They're not placebos in all cases. They definitely work in one tall bank building I worked in in Canary Wharf.
tzs 8y ago
Elevator "door close" buttons can fall into several categories. 1. They work as labeled, immediately closing the door. 2. They work, but only after door has been open longer than a threshold time, or only if the door open time has been extended using the "door open" button. 3. They work, but only when the elevator is in some special mode such as fire/emergency mode. 4. They are supposed to work, but broke. A broken "door close" button does not put the elevator out of service, and might not even be noticed at all (especially if it is a category #2 button) for a long time, and so a broken "door close" button can stay broken for a very long time. 5. They would work except they have been disabled by the owner, perhaps to comply with laws, or perhaps because there were too many assholes prematurely shutting doors. 6. They are placebos.

majewsky 8y ago

In my office (in Germany), when the elevator door opens and I hold the "close door" button, it immediately starts closing as soon as it's finished opening. So at least that one is definitely not a placebo.

CM30 8y ago
Same here in the UK. Both the close and open buttons work immediately after being pressed in my office, so they're clearly not placebos.

a_c_s 8y ago

The door close button is used when the elevator is in fire service mode (where all actions are manually activated)

skaomatic 8y ago
Interesting - and makes sense! A detail missed by my tour at the Elevator History Museum in New York, NY. [elevatorhistory.org]

gadders 8y ago

They're not placebos in all cases. They definitely work in one tall bank building I worked in in Canary Wharf.

tzs 8y ago

Elevator "door close" buttons can fall into several categories. 1. They work as labeled, immediately closing the door. 2. They work, but only after door has been open longer than a threshold time, or only if the door open time has been extended using the "door open" button. 3. They work, but only when the elevator is in some special mode such as fire/emergency mode. 4. They are supposed to work, but broke. A broken "door close" button does not put the elevator out of service, and might not even be noticed at all (especially if it is a category #2 button) for a long time, and so a broken "door close" button can stay broken for a very long time. 5. They would work except they have been disabled by the owner, perhaps to comply with laws, or perhaps because there were too many assholes prematurely shutting doors. 6. They are placebos.