Eh, placebo or not, it’s not like pressing it costs me extra effort. I’ll keep pressing it out of habit. Placebo effect is a real thing, after all. If I feel like it makes the door close faster, who’s it really hurting?

That's a deep thought to end on. It's fascinating how an elevator button can send us spiraling into an existential crisis. We crave control, or at least the illusion of it, to cope with the chaotic nature of existence. Everything from 'user settings' on products that have minimal effect, to the scripts we follow in social interactions... it's all a tapestry of illusionary control embroidered on the fabric of reality.

Here's a thought, did anyone ever consider actually looking at the wiring? It’s not too hard to pop the button panel open and have a peek. Most times service guys will tell ya straight up whether it’s connected or not. It’s when they get shifty that you know it’s a dummy button.

Well that's just great, isn't it? Next you're gonna tell me that thermostats in the office are also fake? I swear I can never get the temperature right...

That button is a direct line to the government, every press is consent to be monitored. Wake up sheeple!

Not ALL 'Close Door' buttons are dummies! Some are active, especially in older buildings, they respond quicker than you'd expect. But yeah, newer designs, especially with energy-efficient models or ones built after certain access regulations were passed, tend to keep the timing to a strict schedule for reasons mentioned above. Start timing your elevator; you'll see there's a pattern. It's not always malice, sometimes there's a method.

This is actually more common than you'd think. Many 'Close Door' buttons in elevators are inoperative unless you're a service person or firefighter with the appropriate key to enable manual control. It's a fail-safe protocol. The Americans with Disabilities Act made extended door delay timers standard to accommodate for those who need more time to enter, so the close button kinda got retired in the process.

lol and here I was mashing that button like a madman thinking I had some sort of power over the elevator's whims. It's the adult version of those fake steering wheels in kiddie rides, total placebo. Makes ya wonder what else around us is just for show.