[Sleuth]

Can someone please explain the Chinese habit of pushing the "door close" button as soon as the doors on an elevator begin to open? And I say CHinese because I have noticed that this happens all over industrial China.
I would say once a month I get my shoulders banged by an elevator and I try to get to the elevator quickly. Today the well-mannered individual was still holding the door close button down whilst I was opening the doors with my hands.
I noticed in Fenwick their is a sign in the elevator asking you not to do that. And I can see why--all you need is a sailor taking personal offense at having an elevator door closed on him to start an international incident.

[dropdedfwed]

i thought I was the only person that got P%^$d by this!

I think it hilarous. I like it when you get scowled at, and people push passed you to hit the button after you get in the lift and don't do it. MOST lifts in HK will not respond to the "close" button until the door has reached fully open. and then, most lift doors pause no longer if you hit the button, than if you don't (or vice versa). I love the multiple hits theory too... forcefully hit the button 50 times - it makes the lift come faster, makes the doors close faster, makes the pedestrian lights change faster...

I have seen maids lifting pre-school aged kids up to hit the button, and the kid hits the button with the speed and accuracy of a marks-man, early training mate!!

[youngjediboy]

It's really funny because I also noticed and was bugged by locals doing that when I came to HK... but now I find myself also pushing that damned 'close' button!

Actually the buttons seem QUITE responsive, although I agree that pushing it 50 times repeatedly wouldn't make it go any faster. Just once is good enough.

Oh and I like that the button actually works here. Back home those buttons are just plain useless... in fact I think the 'close' elevator buttons in the US actually keep the doors open longer!

[goodkarma]

I have always thought that they should do a TV public service announcement like they do about not throwing TV's out of the window Don't push the close door buttons.

At least 5 days a week someone pushes our lift buttons before the door has even opened and ours is very responsive. No one is getting in !

Very annoying.

[GaGaLa]

ooops i do this -- just a habit now i guess.

Yeah in Uk i dont press it - but here in HK it just need to be pressed - hehe

[climber07]

That is probably the funniest thread I've read on here!!!!! That's probably been one of my biggest frustrations since I've moved here..

There are three things I've learned about lifts/elevators in HK, (especially in IFC2):

1: It really is possible to fill these things to the Maximum load capasity (as there always seems to be room for one more to squeese themselves in...after a running start).

2: The open/close buttons actually do work and even more surprizing are actually USED all the time.

3: The western common curtesy / ettiquette of letting women on/off the lift first DOES NOT APPLY! Everyone fend for themselves.

My favorite part of the days are actually in the mornings and lunch time......best strategy is let the elevators fill to capasity...wait 20 second and ride solo or with 2/3 people in the next one.....works nearly every time

[discobay]

Sigh if only Hong Kong was full of people like you (especially when getting on the MTR during rush hour).

[greenietea]

YouTube - 72nd to Canal - Teaser #1 -...

[hello_there]

OMG. The elevator close button thing drives me nuts. The other day I was taking my dog out of the elevator and some jerk pressed and held in the close button almost before the door was even open and before my pup and I were out. She got bashed by the door pretty hard and I had to shove it back open so she wouldn't get totally squished. The whole time this was happening the prick was still holding the close button. Arg.

[sylvesterjay]

people were throwing their tv's out the window? my god if they are really that frickin stupid, now I understand why the government needs to explain every little thing to these people as if they were 3 yr olds...pretty sad