Elevators

I appreciate an elevator with a crisp [>|<] close door function.

I want it to shut before anyone misbehaves.

It's my belief that sticking your hand in the way of a closing elevator door is an improper thing to do.

I know that might sound outrageous, but it's because we've gotten used to a cultural norm that actually is grubby and wrong.

I first realized this when I used to stay at a hotel with a really slow door close.

The door would pause and think, then finally begin a slow grind towards closing.

And it was a busy place, so inevitably you'd often get stuck thru multiple cycles of almost getting there, and then someone comes by and ruins it.

Alternatively, they could just wait for a different elevator, which would arrive probably any second, rather than delay a dozen or so people. It would work better for everyone if everyone accepted the norm of not stopping a closing door.

(And while degree varies, it's the same concept even when the door is faster.)

I don't hold for people, but I don't stick my hand in either.

There's something satisfying about it when someone barks "hold the door!" as tho you're definitely going to, and then you just watch it close in their face.

Invalid request.

I know I have the proper etiquette and that they're confused, so I'm totally allowed to enjoy it.

Maybe they'll learn.

Ya, you want to get upstairs as quickly as possible. But so do I. So does everyone inside this elevator.

And the door closing is a fine point to consider the elevator to be in its process of being on its way, and that you missed it.

Just because there physically exists some way for you to stick your hand in and reset us, it doesn't mean you should or that that's a good norm.

It has some parallels to abortion, believe it or not.

When a baby is born, obviously you can't kill it.

And while the birth is a critical event, I see no reason why whatever logic or beliefs tell you that killing is wrong wouldn't also exist slightly prior to when it went down a slide and left mother's body.

If hypothetically there was a way for you to pull an elevator back after the door had closed and it had begun moving, would you?

Of course not, right? Only a grub would do that.

So what's the difference?

I feel like I'm doing effectively that same thing if I were to stick my arm in to block a closing door.

The door beginning to close is the conception of that elevator's motion up or down the stairs, and that's the point where those people should be regarded as on their way, and where I feel like a grub to stick my hand in and make them start over.

The door being fully closed is just when you can't get away with pulling them back anymore. But it was still wrong prior to that.

Another elevator will arrive shortly. You should let this one close and wait.