The Ups and Downs of Elevators

Another article that I've been meaning to get to is this one from The New Yorker from a while back. You might not think that an essay about elevators would be a good read, but this one certainly is. One of my favorite facts gleaned from the piece: most "door close" buttons in modern elevators do not work. They are just there to make passengers feel like they have some kind of control. The writer adds, "Once you know this, it can be illuminating to watch people compulsively press the door-close button. That the door eventually closes reinforces their belief in the button’s power. It’s a little like prayer. Elevator design is rooted in deception—to disguise not only the bare fact of the box hanging by ropes but also the tethering of tenants to a system over which they have no command."