What's Up With Elevators
Elevators are useful machines that help mankind ascend to the upper echelons of floor space, or to the darkest depths of eerie basements underneath our feet. At first, their operation seems simplistic. Press a button, wait for a ride, and board the square craft. But, there has always been one facet of these devices that intrigues me.
As I look upon the face of it's calling card, I see two arrows. One that points up, and one that points down. Pressing the up button presumably takes me skyward. Well it can if I want it to, but what if I change my mind? What if I decide to go to a lower floor? Will the elevator eject me from it's mechanical enclosure and say, "You requested to go up, now get off."?
I decided to test this theory. One night, when wandering around the place where I live, I decided to give in to a tinge of rebellion. I was on the third floor, and pressed the down button. As the elevator ascended to meet me, I could see it's little gears getting excited, ready to take me down to the ground floor below. It had already visited the first floor many times, and each opening of it's doors was just as exciting as the last. I was about to make this elevator's day, and with a happy ding, it opened and I stepped inside. Little did it know what I had planned.
I looked at the floor options in front of me. Little grey boxes with numbers above them were waiting to be pressed, so I took the initiative and pressed the 4 button. Wait...that is up. Are you sure? The elevator seemed to say as it awkwardly paused, shutting the doors slowly. A few moments of silence passed as the amber glow of the 4 button glared at me. The elevator seemed to be debating whether or not it wanted to take me there.
I glanced out the window as I saw other people riding smoothly in their elevators, with little happy dings bidding them farewell or welcoming them aboard. I waited. It waited. We both stood still in silence. I felt as though I had betrayed the metallic soul of my carrier, but I could not let it distract me. The fourth floor needed me.
Finally, it started to slowly ascend. I could hear the creaking and grumbling of it's little gears as it complained all the way to the top. Within a few painful seconds, it arrived. As if to tempt me to change my mind, the doors refused to open. A colorless blob of a reflection stared at me from the metal doors as I tapped my foot on the ground.
A little, whimpering ding escaped from the sad elevator as I walked onto the floor. I turned around to see the doors staying open for just a few more seconds, bidding me to enter again and visit the first floor. No, I need to go to bed. No first floor tonight buddy, I said to myself as I turned my back on my floor traveling friend. The doors slowly shut behind me as if to say a sorrowful goodbye.
At first I wondered why there were two buttons if the ultimate decision was up to the passenger, but after that night I found out why. Now, if you Google the answer, you'll find a scientific answer involving mechanics, wiring, programming, etc., but what I learned that night has never been properly recorded.
Let me explain. See, whenever you press the up or down arrow on an elevator, you send a signal to the elevator as to where you are wanting to go. This signal readies the elevator to transport you in the desired direction. Now, I will not go into the distinct Elevatology of each buildings lift, but I can tell you that some prefer upper floors, and others the lower floors. So, whenever you press an up or down button, the elevator who is most excited to take you in that direction opens first. By taking an opposite course after preparing the elevator for your transportation, you set them up for disappointment.
This disappointment is a downward spiral that makes elevators less responsive and willing to take further passengers. Ever notice elevators that take forever to arrive? Or those that slowly open once you get to the floor? Those are damaged elevators, and not only in the mechanical sense. They have trust issues with potential passengers. They no longer care what floor you want to go to, and will eventually break down and refuse to move at all.
Generally speaking, in older buildings elevators are less likely to function as smoothly as newer establishments. This is because they are not properly maintained. Workers who are assigned to elevators must ding them and fulfill their request in order to reestablish trust. When this trust is reestablished, the elevator will be more likely to speedily take their passengers to wherever they wish.
So, what was meant to be a brief post has now become a short thesis on the emotional state of elevators. In closing, make sure to establish trust with any elevator you come across. Don't lie for a ride.