The lift, open/close buttons

Anyone notice (or care) here people like push the close door button a lot on the lift/elevator and can not wait for the door close it self like in most places? If your in an urgent rush ok, but it seems its always like this here (kaoshiung). Was in Hawaii/ Japan and Taiwan co worker asked why people do use the close (and open) buttons and I said a few seconds is not going to matter, but seems here a few seconds matter.

Pretty much everyone uses the close-door button in the elevators at both my apartment and at work. The buttons definitely make a difference; yeah, itā€™s ā€œjustā€ a few seconds, but itā€™s 4-5 seconds when everyoneā€™s standing around bored. Multiply that by six or seven floors and it adds up.

Iā€™ve read that in many other places those are actually placebo buttons that donā€™t do anything, but they definitely have an effect here.

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If the buttons are there, why would you not use them?

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I think the open close buttons have to be pushed in Asia in the same way people stop and start their scooters at red lights. Perhaps the same as unplugging every appliance or leaving bathroom windows open?

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Not understanding the logic on this one.

It just seems to me that thereā€™s an impatience and urgency added to everything. Ever see people skip and scurry in the office? Showing action and urgency is valued here even if end result is the same.

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Open buttons are usually pushed out of courtesy. I welcome them. :bowing:
And I have nothing against pushing the close button when thereā€™s CLEARLY no one to board the elevator. But it really pisses me if when itā€™s not the case. :wall:
It happens a lot at public buildings like hospitals and shopping malls.
People are lined up in the middle floors waiting to either go up or down. Elevator comes and itā€™s going up. First people in line wants to go down. People behind then gets ready to board the elevator. Dumb-ass inside the elevator pushes the close button and closes the door! :face_with_symbols_over_mouth:
Now, those who want to go up needs to wait for ANOTHER F*CKING ELEVATOR because a DUMB-ASS thinks their time is more valuable than others! :rant:

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A lot of selfish behavior here. Why are many TW so selfish?

:whistle:

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Yeah, itā€™s a cultural politeness signal.

Also, a lot of people seem to have an irrational fear that the doors might close on them. They go overboard with pressing the button and putting their hand on the door.

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Obviously, the reason why people overuse those buttons is in Bruce Leeā€™s Enter the Dragon. You know, the fight scene in the underground drug factory. At one point Bruce Leeā€™s character jabs the elevator button to get it to come down to his floor faster, and heā€™s rewarded with hordes of bad guys pouring out of the elevator when it arrives. Sheesh!

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Itā€™s been put forward that the buttons in many places are, apparently, simply a placebo to placate people into a sense of control. Obviously not the case here though.

Do ā€˜Close Doorā€™ Buttons in Elevators Actually Do Anything?

The incessant closing isnā€™t a savings of a few seconds here and a few moments there; itā€™s an overall waste of time to have the doors close because somebodyā€™s pushing the button, only to re-open when somebody sticks their foot in the door then nearly close then re-open. A few nights ago a guy did this on every floor going down and I figured he was in a hurry but when he stepped off the lift, he lingered and simply scrolled through his phone. I know for a lot of people, itā€™s intentional but for most itā€™s probably simply not considering that other people are even in the building and may want to use the same service.

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Some people simply donā€™t want to stand in an elevator with a foreigner.

The point being in Taiwan, if I get in and I donā€™t push the close button, someone will even if I blocking them make the effort to get their hands on it. In New Zealand and United States most people get in , push the button for the floor their going to and wait for the door to close. What bothers me here, someone putting hands between bodies to push the close button (in most cases not saying excuse me) not waiting for the door to close.

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I think you are way overthinking thisā€¦

I think itā€™s due to the close buttons actually doing something here. In The States (at least in the majority of elevators Iā€™ve been in) it doesnā€™t matter if you push the button or not ā€“ itā€™s going to close in the same amount of time.

I think if they actually worked in The States it would be more common there too

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Do you have an elevator in the building where you live?
Itā€™s just a habit of closing the door, after you press the button of the floor.

I donā€™t think they are pressing the closed button at all actually. The default mode is to close that quickly, quite a culture shock for sure.

Hkers are obsessed with pressing the close door button too!

Same as cars speeding to the red traffic lightā€¦ uhhhā€¦why bruh?

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