Placebo Buttons: Why the ‘Close Door’ Elevator Button Doesn’t Work

The elevator “close door” button

About 80% of elevator “close door” buttons don’t work. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 mandates that elevator doors stay open long enough so people with physical disabilities and the elderly have enough time to get on or off the car. So most elevator functions are automated. Pressing the close button does nothing at all, even if it happens to close just after you press it.