The most useless button in the lift

You know that moment when you’re in a lift, and you start pressing the ‘close door’ button to hurry things along? Maybe you’re in a rush, or just trying to avoid awkward small talk.

You might be surprised to learn that pushing an elevator’s ‘close door’ button does nothing by default and has been that way since the 1990s.

Back in the 1990s, a law called the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) said lift doors had to stay open for at least three seconds, to give people with mobility needs time to get in. So any elevators built after the Act were either built with an dummy ‘close door’ button or the button was not wired to the control panel.

In India, we don't have a nationwide regulation enforcing such standards. So, the effectiveness of the 'close door' button depends on the building and the lift's manufacturer. 

In modern commercial buildings, malls, or upscale residential complexes, lifts often have 'close door' buttons that are functional. However, these buttons typically work only after a brief delay, allowing passengers sufficient time to enter or exit safely. Even if the button is wired up, it usually only works after the built-in wait time. And if someone else steps in, the timer resets.

Basically, pressing it does nothing… but it feels like you’re doing something, which is kind of the point.

That’s why it’s called a placebo button. It gives you the feeling of control, even though it’s just along for the ride. Pedestrian crossing buttons often work the same way.

Most lifts only last about 25 years, so by now, the vast majority have been replaced with this feature in mind. The only people who can reliably use the button are the emergency and maintenance workers. They’ve got special keys or codes to override the system.

So the next time you’re in an elevator, you can push the close door button, but know it won’t get you to your intended floor any faster. Others in the elevator might appreciate the effort, giving them the illusion that you’re doing everything possible to close that door.

Or focus on the ‘open door’ button because that one actually works. 🙂