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Q: Why do they not understand how a lift/elevator works?
There is no need to press the 'close' button as soon as you enter.
There is no need to repeatedly stab the 'open' button as soon as you reach the floor.
There is no need to hold back the doors like it's an Indian Jones movie.
Less of a question, more of a rant really.
Happy Saturday everyone.
One of the most archetypally Chinese things I've seen happened recently in an elevator in a department store.
The elevator reached the top floor, so all 6 occupants were going to get out.
There was, however, one person on the top floor waiting to get on, with a very large box (washing machine size). You know what happens next.
The doors open, and instead of waiting 3 seconds for the people to get off, he pushes the box into the gap. As a result, he spends around 20 seconds fighting against 6 people, who are all pushing against the box or trying to squeeze around it.
He eventually got pushed out of the way; the people exited the elevator; then he proceeded to enter. Simply incredible.
This kind of behaviour is like autism, but it's cultural, not genetic.
crimochina:
they never seem to get that it would have saved them soo much time if they just did things in an orderly fashion.
TedDBayer:
He who has the biggest package rules the elevator, you should know that. Just like with cars etc.
Actually, some elevators in China DO require you to push the "close door" button. The elevator at my girlfriend's apartment is like this. I tested it once when I was leaving, and got tired of waiting for the doors to close after a solid 60 seconds before I pushed the "close door" button. It's like the elevator was specifically tailored for the Chinese market.
What peeves me is when they are waiting for the elevator, and think pushing both the up and down button will make it arrive faster. I guess they prefer to ride in the wrong direction for a while in a smoke and fart filled elevator instead of waiting for it to come back around in the correct direction.
Who do you mean by they? Your friends..??
TedDBayer:
People hold Sparkeys head in the elevator doorway and repeatedly push close.
China has got it right. The rest of the world does not understand how they work. China invented the elevator 5,000 years ago.
actually (and I have researched a lot since I myself started the same topic a while ago) there is something to it.
The Close Door button is not there just for show. In case of fire elevators must be able to be operated manually, in which case the close door button is needed.
Inside the control bov of a "standard" Otis elevator there is a way of changing settings that can alter behavior. In the lifts in our building there has been changes in behavior after elevator service personnel. E.g. our lifts have an "Open Hold" button, this function has been on and off at times, what it does is it holds the doors open for an extended time no matter if anyone on other floors tries to call the lift. To cancel Open Hold the Close Door button is used.
The lift also has a feature where if you press "Close Door" button at the same time as the floor number, then the lift will go directly there without stopping on other floors where people are waiting for it. Sadly this is now disabled in our building.
There is more to it than the eye can see
Background information:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QCzkSKEcwc
http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20110716000063&cid=1103 (30 die in lift accidents per year in China. WTF???)
mike168229:
I understand the mechanics of it. I know the buttons are there for a very good reason.
What escapes me is the need to stab them furiously all the time. This is not done anywhere else I have been.
Scandinavian:
I know. It is the same with how people drive. People are very active in getting their car ahead on the road, constantly changing lanes, honking, none of which actually helps speed up things. The sense of being in control must be important, when in fact you are not (the lack of suffrage)
Psychology professors are welcome to comment
This is annoying. And when waiting I often see them press the down button to go up (thinking it'll bring the elevator down faster). Understandable for old people but not just them.
The continued button pressing is just sad. It's like they can't wait a second for the lift to move but the thing is they've already spent 30 minutes just deciding where to go, another 30 minutes arguing with the MIL about it, at least an hour stuck in traffic, and when finally at the right building 5 minutes pushing just to get in the lift. Keeping perspective? Deal with it.
Scandinavian:
The frantic button pressing puts the napping culture in a whole new life. Maybe try to stay awake and spend the time wisely instead of being awake just a few hours each day and then run around in panic in those hours
"There is no need to press the 'close' button as soon as you enter."
This actually makes the door close a bit faster than just waiting for it to close by itself. Helpful when you want to avoid the company of smokers coming behind you.
As for the up and down buttons, they still haven't figured out their use. They choose which button to press depending on whether the elevator is above or below the floor they are currently on.
