what was that? is that all there is? who is this? this is it.

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help me out now

June 4, 2007

If you offer people an easy way out, will they take it?

Ongoing research has shown that YES people will take the easy way out or in. Not always, but often. Some will take it every time. Some will only take it when they really need it. Some don’t even know what I’m talking about. My sample population is made up of office workers and other people who frequently enter and exit large office buildings in Seattle. Most larger buildings have several doors, revolving doors and power activated handicap accessible doors that open when a switch is pressed and remain open for 10-15 seconds. My research has been going on for at least 18 months and mostly at 925 4th Avenue, 1325 4th Avenue and both sides of 701 5th Avenue. Last week I sat in the South end of the 5th Avenue lobby of 701 for 15 minutes and sized up a lot of tremendous slackers that used the power door. These are the people that would never think to take the stairs, but they’d pay for a gym membership and work the shit out of stairmaster for an hour.

People use the power activated doors all day long. It’s like a game. Most of them have nothing in their hands but a cell phone or a cup of coffee, but for some reason cannot be troubled to open the door for themselves. Even empty handed they have become proficient at hitting the switch with an elbow, a foot, a hip, an umbrella or a rolled up newspaper. The power doors do not open quickly, they don't save time, these slackers have to pause, break stride and wait for the doors to open before they can saunter in. At the IDX Tower they put up a couple signs encouraging people to use the revolving doors, save energy and keep air conditioning costs down. Those signs probably worked for a couple days but now they're just part of the woodwork.

Sadly, the people these doors are designed for often don’t know they exist. The wheelchairs, the strollers, the skeets, the overloaded intern headed back to the office with bundles of mail. These are the people that actually need the electric doors. I helped a guy at 1001 who was trying to push his mom in her wheelchair through the revolving door, they didn’t get very far before I showed them another way in.

Assistance, a helping hand, a little nudge, a skitch, a shortcut. A big red round button.

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4 Comments

RedKev said...

The security guard @ 701 usually has the power door switch pressed and timed to open just as I am approaching. It then seems like a waste of energy to walk past it and use the revolving doors. Of course, if he's gone for some reason, I must go the extra few steps and push on the revolving door and hope I don't have to argue with some new guy about how I don't really have to take off my helmet because I'm not going to rob the bank.

Posted June 5, 2007 12:57 AM | Reply to this comment

mary grumblebee said...

oh, i thought he only did that for me. it always seems very thoughtful and i always end up looking back and giving him a wave. not anymore since apparently that is part of his job description. in fact, maybe i will start giving him dirty looks if he doesnt do it.