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Originally Posted by swissknife In addition, "serves to all floor"? |
This reminds me of a joke that I observe almost every day. I am pretty sure this is observed in many place else too.
In my work place building, there are offices of many companies. In the same floor too there would be at least two/three offices of different companies. That's why there are no less than 8 elevators serving every floor. Out of this, four stops at even floors and four at odd floors.
If you press the up/down button of any lift in the even floor, it will automatically turn on the up/down button of all lifts designated for that floor. Similarly for the odd floors. Mostly the nearest available lift car will stop at the floor.
So, there are these people who are leaving office and going back home. They are usually in a hurry, either to catch the train, take the shuttle bus or get the Uber/Ola they must have booked 10 mins back. Obviously they all want to go to the ground floor in a hurry.
They come and one of them press the 'up' button. Everyone's eyes are glued to the indicator that shows the lift is passing through which floor. One person notices that one of the lifts is coming next, so he runs and stands close to the door of that lift. The other bunch of people follow him blindly and occupy even more space in front of that lift. Indicator shows it has reached the floor but it does not stop. Then one guy reads the message on the top showing that this lift does not serve that particular floor. Everyone looks at the first guy who, upon realizing his folly had already started doing something on his phone. Some of them start cursing under their breath, some animated ones curse the lift system saying that these lifts never work properly. Now a few of them again press the "up" button repeatedly as if doing that will somehow increase the speed of the lift car. Funny thing is this is done by different people as if different people with different strength can summon the lift in a faster way. One even runs around pressing the buttons of all lifts on that floor, maybe he thinks that some buttons may not get automatically turned on (even though the indicator lights are on).
Finally there is a "ding" announcing the impending arrival of the lift and everyone flocks to that lift. The lift stops, doors open, they try to barge in when one of them notice it is going up. He immediately warns other passengers that this lift is going up so don't board. This guy seemed very elated being a good Samaritan until some other people start asking passengers inside the lift, is it going up or down (even if you see the indicator showing, the car is going up), people inside motion with their index fingers indicating the car is going up. Now those outside give a sigh, some say ***, some roll their eyes, some give a "click" sound with their tongue and then press the 'up' button again.
The blokes who booked Uber/Ola cabs desperately call their drivers saying that the lifts are not working, so please wait for me. Others again press 'up' button hoping that they can catch the next lift that goes down. Then one fellow is so frustrated that he presses both buttons 'up' and 'down'. I guess it must be the guy who will either miss his train or the shuttle bus. Magically, his unintended action has the desired result. One lift that was going down stops and the door opens. By now self doubt of people has increased manifold, so they ask people inside if the lift is going up or down, again index finger indications all around doing majority of the communication.
When everyone is convinced the lift is going down, time to barge into the lift ... who cares if someone wanted to get off at this floor or not. No one wants to go through the cycle of waiting for the lift again, right!! Any poor fellow who wanted to get out on that floor and couldn't make the first move would have to ride the lift again.
I notice this every day. And this same thing happens over and over again. People do change but even with same people the behavior remains notoriously same.
One day I couldn't resist myself. After this has happened again that day I go and ask these people meekly .. "Friends, why do you press the 'up' button when you intend to go 'down' in the lift."
They stare at me with wide open eyes and a gaping mouth as if I had asked a blasphemous question.
Then one of them say : "Well, if we press the 'up' button, only then the lift will come 'up'"
