Fact or Fake: Pushing the Open or Close Elevator Button Works

Let's be honest, shall we? Every single one of us has pushed the 'close door' button in the elevator whether someone was coming or not because we just want to keep moving.

Hey, I've done it. I've even hit it when the person saw me, and I was like, 'Sorry, OMG, I hit the wrong button.' Hey, I'll own up to it.

But guess what? I had zero control. Yup, the 'close door' button on elevators is a big, fat lie.

According to Mental Floss, that 'close door' button doesn't make the doors close faster or sooner. In fact, according to the Science Alert website, they don't even work, and if one does work it's illegal.

So why are they even there? To mess with us? Is it a placebo effect? Actually, they once worked, but just not anymore.

According to Mental Floss, while at one point the button did make the doors shut sooner, once the Americans With Disabilities Act passed in 1990, that ended. Elevator doors are required to stay open for at least three seconds no matter what, so at this point, most manufacturers have simply deactivated the button.

This gives someone on crutches, using a cane, or in a wheelchair, for example, time to get on the elevator.

According to the New York Times, since elevators have a 25-year life and the Americans with Disabilities Act has been around for 34 years, it's a safe bet that none of those buttons work anymore and are all deactivated. If they're not, they're programmed to stay open for at least three seconds, if not longer.

As for the 'open door' button, yes, that one works which makes sense after what you just read.

PS: Yes, the 'open door' button does work.