Does the "Door Close" button in a lift do anything?

Ciaran187

Hi all

Was cutting it fine getting into work today. In the lift, stopping on nearly every floor. Kept pressing the "Door Close" button but it didn't seem to be doing anything. There was nobody blocking the doors or anything like that. I've noticed it a good few times.

It seems to work the odd time. The doors usually stay open for about 10 seconds then close, but sometimes when I hit the button, the doors close straight away.

I just read this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placebo_button

Don't think that's what it is as the doors close sometimes when I hit the button. Anyone got any ideas? There's 4 lifts here so it's not just a faulty connection on one of them or anything like that.

I'd love to hear from a lift engineer or the like.

pickarooney

I've never known one to do anything useful.

neil_hosey

Ciaran187 wrote: »

Hi all

Was cutting it fine getting into work today. In the lift, stopping on nearly every floor. Kept pressing the "Door Close" button but it didn't seem to be doing anything. There was nobody blocking the doors or anything like that. I've noticed it a good few times.

It seems to work the odd time. The doors usually stay open for about 10 seconds then close, but sometimes when I hit the button, the doors close straight away.

I just read this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placebo_button

Don't think that's what it is as the doors close sometimes when I hit the button. Anyone got any ideas? There's 4 lifts here so it's not just a faulty connection on one of them or anything like that.

I'd love to hear from a lift engineer or the like.

the close door button closes the door.

WindSock

It does, but it doesn't close it immediatley when you press it. I use it a good bit, it saves valusable nanoseconds. Some lifts are slower of course.

Edit: Interesting Wiki article. Maybe it is a placebo effect? But I do notice in some lifts the door stays open ages unless I press the button. Maybe it's just good timing? I will check it later on this evening if I am parked up an a high level and report back if I remember.

Buford T Justice

Works for me. The Pain in the ass is when a lift doesn't have one.

minidazzler

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placebo_button

Ciaran187

But on the lifts in here, sometimes the doors will have just finished opening, I'll press the button and they close instantly. Other times it has no effect at all.

WindSock

As for pedestrian buttons, who doesn't like pressing them? They are so satisfying, especially when they make the laser 'pew' sound :pac:

Biggins

Pressed with the right combination it takes you to a secret bunker level where Return To Da Hill's is working on his master plan to take over the world!
...Be afraid!

pickarooney

Biggins wrote: »

Pressed with the right combination it takes you to a secret bunker level where Return To The Hill's is working on his master plan to take over the world!
...Be afraid!

Oh no, there's a sequel now?

Wazdakka

Yes.. It closes the door.

It's there as a safety device as well on some lifts.
If you hold the door close button at the same time as the floor you want, the lift will skip all stop requests en-route. It's there for emergency services ect..
I can't think off the top of my head what companies have it as standard, but I'm pretty sure Schindler and Otis do.

He he he Schindler lifts..

AnonoBoy

WindSock wrote: »

As for pedestrian buttons, who doesn't like pressing them? They are so satisfying, especially when they make the laser 'pew' sound :pac:

The only thing more satisfying that getting that sound when you hit the bit shiny pedestrian crossing button is when the light turns green just as you hit the edge of the footpath and you don't have to break stride. I always strut across the road then, playing the Shaft theme thune in my head, glancing from side to side at all those suckers stopped in their cars....

"Who is the man who would risk his life for his brother man?
ANONOBOY!
Damn right....."

NothingMan

Doesn't work in my apartment block. The doors close at the same time no matter what button is pressed. What is really annoying is the up/down buttons to call the lift. I use to think it didn't matter which you pressed but in my block if you press both the lift opens you get inside press 0, the door opens again and closes again. It's quite smart and it plans pick ups perfectly, unless someone presses the wrong or both buttons, then it goes everywhere before your stop.

neil_hosey

:pac:

Ciaran187 wrote: »

But on the lifts in here, sometimes the doors will have just finished opening, I'll press the button and they close instantly. Other times it has no effect at all.

MY main purpose is to try and hit someone else entering the lift in the shoulder..

WindSock

Wazdakka wrote: »

He he he Schindler lifts..

I was just laughing at that with my friend the other day

In fact, I always do when I see it on an escalator. Tis the wee things.

Ciaran187

Wazdakka wrote: »

Yes.. It closes the door.

It's there as a safety device as well on some lifts.
If you hold the door close button at the same time as the floor you want, the lift will skip all stop requests en-route. It's there for emergency services ect..
I can't think off the top of my head what companies have it as standard, but I'm pretty sure Schindler and Otis do.

He he he Schindler lifts..

Using Otis lifts here. That doesn't work. Tried plenty of times.

And lol at Schindler's lift.

SeaFields

A strange thing happens in the lift in my work. There is a button for ground floor and first and thats it but sometimes if your really lucky the lift goes up to level 2! It can only be called up to level 2 with a key as its to a room used by the cleaners for the building.

Anyway to make this story worthy for AH, last year one of the girls got into the lift and was unwittingly brought to level 2.

When the doors opened two of the cleaners, a young couple, were banging each other on a sink up there!

Bet she wished the "Door Close" button worked on that occasion

pickarooney

WindSock wrote: »

I was just laughing at that with my friend the other day

In fact, I always do when I see it on an escalator. Tis the wee things.

Do you also hum "Sittin' on the dock of the bay" in an Otis lift or is that just me?

RobbieTheRobber

Wazdakka wrote: »

Yes.. It closes the door.

It's there as a safety device as well on some lifts.
If you hold the door close button at the same time as the floor you want, the lift will skip all stop requests en-route. It's there for emergency services ect..
I can't think off the top of my head what companies have it as standard, but I'm pretty sure Schindler and Otis do.

He he he Schindler lifts..

I was going to point this out too, I dont think it works on newer otis lifts but it used to work for me on older versions

an internet source saying the same thing
http://www.engadget.com/2005/08/02/elevator-hacking/

bonerm

Ciaran187 wrote: »

And lol at Schindler's lift.

Lol, I know. It sounds just like that film from a few years ago. "Schindlers Fist".

Blisterman

For a good 3 years of living in London, I always pressed the Door Open button on the tube, before I realised that the doors open anyway.

What's the point of it?

bonerm

Blisterman wrote: »

For a good 3 years of living in London, I always pressed the Door Open button on the tube, before I realised that the doors open anyway.

What's the point of it?

How did you manage to use a subway for 3 years without noticing someone get off before you and without using the button?

(I'd imagine the button is for emergencies)

Blisterman

I am a bit slow, I admit.

Of course, on the London Overground, you do have to press the door open button. So cue me, standing like an idiot in front of the door with a crowd of people behind me, waiting for the door to open until someone reaches past my shoulder to press it for me.

WindSock

pickarooney wrote: »

Do you also hum "Sittin' on the dock of the bay" in an Otis lift or is that just me?

No, but, hi-larious exercise: Rhyme it with cock & gay.

AnonoBoy

It's annoying on the LUAS though that sometimes you have to push the open door button and sometimes you don't.

What's the deal with that? And with airline peanuts? Huh?

Earthhorse

We have a placebo button in the lift at work.

It plays Pure Morning.

AnonoBoy wrote: »

It's annoying on the LUAS though that sometimes you have to push the open door button and sometimes you don't.

What's the deal with that?

Saves them time at unpopular stops where they reckon no one will be getting off.

bonerm

Earthhorse wrote: »

We have a placebo button in the lift at work.

It plays Pure Morning.

I presume your lift only goes up then? If you want to go down you have to jump off the roof of the building.

Earthhorse

bonerm wrote: »

I presume your lift only goes up then? If you want to go down you have to jump off the roof of the building.

I just walk down it and the cops are like :eek:.

ScumLord

They do work but they'd probably be on a fairly simplistic electronic and any other button presses on other floors could make it go through another cycle slowing down the doors closing. There are probably allot of different actions the lift system has to go through before it can close doors. I'm just guessing though I don't really know.

Blisterman wrote: »

For a good 3 years of living in London, I always pressed the Door Open button on the tube, before I realised that the doors open anyway.

What's the point of it?

I had the exact opposite thing happen to me, I can't remember which county I was in, but I was on an underground my stop comes up, I stand patiently beside the door waiting for it to open but it didn't and off we go to the next stop with my big country head going red with anger and embarrassment.