When I go to my dance class on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights (more on that later), I have to take an elevator to the 5th floor.
In the lobby (or 1st floor) there are TWO elevators.
So here's a question : On a given evening, both elevators arrive at the first floor at the same time. Does it matter which elevator I take?
"Not unless one of them is really stinky...?" you might answer.
W R O N G.
The elevator on the LEFT only goes to odd-numbered levels.
The elevator on the RIGHT only goes to even-numbered levels (plus the 1st floor).
This is especially irritating if the elevator which could take you directly to your desired floor happens to be stuck on some upper level for an unreasonable amount of time, while the other elevator is dinging its way merrily from floor to floor, opening frequently on the ground floor level to tempt you and taunt you. You know it's not a big deal to take the "wrong" elevator to the floor above your desired floor and walk down a flight of steps. You know this, but you are stubbornly resolved to waiting for you designated elevator because dangit, elevators are there so you don't HAVE to walk up or down stairs.
But, like I said at the beginning, though, this USED to annoy me. Then I researched the phenomenon, and I found out that there is actually a logical and even mathematical reason for creating floor-specific elevators. Here are 3 of the types of floor-specific elevators I learned about - all of which can be found in parts of Eastern Asia.
ODD/EVEN ELEVATORS:
"Each elevator is assigned odd/even and only serves those floors" - Wikipedia
"...This would increase the value of each call - the average number of people entering/exiting on every call would double. This would lower the useless stop problem. Proof: As of now if you are going to an odd floor, you can go in any elevator. if it were [changed], you could only get into a specific elevator. The proportion of odd floor people in that elevator would be doubled; therefore, for a given odd floor, the average number of people exiting on that floor would be double.
This would also improve the worst case scenario of stopping at every floor."
Ok. So I have to admit that this makes sense. If there are 2 elevators, and 10 people waiting, only half (give or take) will enter the odd numbered elevator, and the rest will enter the even numbered elevator. Even-floor people don't have to wait for odd-floor people, and vice versa. Efficiency in action. And if there's one thing I'm a fan of, it's efficiency. (Just ask my husband)
EXPRESS ELEVATORS:
"An express elevator does not serve all floors. For example, it moves between the ground floor and a skylobby, or it moves from the ground floor or a skylobby to a range of floors, skipping floors in between. These are especially popular in eastern Asia." - Wikipedia
This makes sense, too. If there's a really popular floor at the very top of a building, shoot the interested elevator-riders directly there, and have different elevators for people visiting other, less-popular floors.
SKIP-STOP ELEVATORS:
These are elevators that skip floors for the express purpose of making people exercise more.
I'm not sure how I feel about this. On the one hand, I like exercise, and I think it's great to encourage people to do more of it. "Yay, let's be healthy!" The USA could definitely use some healthy living motivation. On the other hand, I want elevators to do their jobs. When I'm headed to my dance class where I'm going to have the tar whipped out of me by a tiny, screaming Korean lady, I don't want my elevator giving me sass and forcing me to exercise before my class even starts!
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All that to say, Korean elevators do let you cancel your button push with a double button push. This is fabulous for people like me who are occasionally prone to pushing the wrong button, and it makes me feel better when having to wait for my odd-numbered elevator.
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Ooh look! Fish!
ReplyDeleteyay science!
ReplyDeleteon another note, my "word verification" is "feremat".
would this be referring to a laundromat for ferrets?