Progress? Progress. Right.

[triadruid]

As some of you who are local may know, they've been taking one of the six elevators in City Hall down at a time for refurbishment. They sorely needed it, and while I can't yet see that they've made any improvements to the call-balancing algorithm, they no longer stop 3-6" above/below your floor, and the doors shut all the way. So bully for them.

However, the layout of the new buttons is a leetel confusing. Lemme splain... no, it would take too long, let me draw you a picture.

Here's the two 'short' elevators, which only go up to the 26th floor (at that point the building narrows, and only four elevators continue upward):

Short elevators

24	25	26
20	21	22	23
16	17	18	19
12	13	14	15
8	9	10	11
4	5	6	7
B	1	2	3

Keep in mind that at least one of these was among the first two elevators redesigned.

Now take a look at these button layouts, for the elevators which go all the way up to the 29th floor. One is the actual layout they've selected, the other is not:

Tall elevators, option 1

	28	29
24	25	26	27
20	21	22	23
16	17	18	19
12	13	14	15
8	9	10	11
4	5	6	7
B	1	2	3

Tall elevators, option 2

26	27	28	29
22	23	24	25
18	19	20	21
14	15	16	17
10	11	12	13
6	7	8	9
2	3	4	5
	B	1

Note: agrnmn pointed out that I forgot to mention: You enter the building on 1, or through the basement if you come in through the parking garage.

Got it? Okay, great. Now here's your task, should you choose to accept it.

[Poll #566689]

Comments

[saffronhare.livejournal.com]

I can see that they have the numbers going left-right, which makes sense. But I find it much easier to orient my brain to sequence that reads top-bottom in progress of the numbers, not a spatial representation of the building.

Like, B 1 2 3
4 5 6 7

But that's just me, and I have no spatial relation-al thinking to speak of.

[triadruid.livejournal.com]

Huh. I have no idea if there's a Civil Engineering preference on that, it always makes sense to me to have the higher numbers at the top.

But then, it's probably a spatial-reference thing. Even flipping it, would you prefer making the upper floors line up or the lower floors?

[zylch.livejournal.com]

So far as I've noticed, standard elevator procedure is high numbers at the top. Not sure whether that's an industry standard, though. ::google::
.
.
.
Do not, under any circumstances, go to the wikipedia article on elevators while you're still at work, man. It's fascinating over there.

[diermuid.livejournal.com]

I have been trying the 'express' trick at work, hitting door-close and the floor at the same time.

Granted, I rather take the stairs... but how geeky is it that elevators have 'cheat codes'?

Cheat Codes?!?

[wildnsquirrelly.livejournal.com]

Wow- I SOoo wish I would have known that last weekend. It would have been a HUGE help with all the Elevator Wrasslin' the weekend entailed.

Just curious- Do you know about the Traffic Light Trick? Or is that old news by now?

Re: Cheat Codes?!?

[diermuid.livejournal.com]

Traffic light trick? I know that some have recievers and emergency vehicles can change them, and you can also alter the programming at the local electrical junction box, but what trick are you referring to?

Re: Cheat Codes?!?

[wildnsquirrelly.livejournal.com]

Actually, an old Rocky Horror friend shared with me once that flickering your brights at a traffic signal will get it to expedite it's change. Lo and behold after trying said trick at a few lights in Downtown Jacksonville it worked. I'm not sure if it'll work there, and be sure that actual rescue personel would likely frown on such use, but if perhaps you find yourself stuck at an impossibly slow light with no one else in sight you might find it interesting to explore. On the other hand, featherynscale already knows said trick, and she could probably tell you already if it worked in the K.C. area or not.

Said trick also being no substitute for good ol' fashioned Patience.

Re: Cheat Codes?!?

[diermuid.livejournal.com]

I hadn't heard that one, I assume it is a sensor used in some areas to trigger based on public safety lights.

The trick I use is to pull up, then pull up another foot, and pull up another foot. For signals with the wires under the asphalt, it seems to register as more than one car pulling up at the light. This is most usefull on lights where the sidestreets stay red for a loooong time.