5 Things You Think Work, But Actually Don't

Paul2 said:
I hit it repeatedly on the chance that something is broken and even though it looks like it's called the elevator, it really hasn't.
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Pressing the button again repairs what was broken? ;)
 
Captain_Swoop said:
Crossing signal buttons work on most of the lights around here. IF no one presses a button the crossing sequence is skipped from the light changes so traffic isn't held up by delays for non existant pedestrians. Also we have crossings in the UK that are independant of traffic lights at junctions and are there just to get people across busy roads. They stay on green all the time for traffic unless someone wants to cross, so called PELICON Crossings (PEdestrian LIght CONtrolled)
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42 years living on this planet and in this country and i swear i always thought they were called PELICAN crossings. :blush:

ETA: They are called pelican crossings!
 
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NobbyNobbs said:
Pressing the button again repairs what was broken? ;)
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Not at all. Electrical contacts may be weak. It's like jiggling the handle on the toilet.

I"m not really defending my action, even though what I write looks exactly like that. :D
 
How about people who crank the thermostat all the way up or down, under the mistaken impression that the air conditioner/heat will cool/heat the house faster?

:boggled:

YOU SET IT TO THE TEMP YOU WANT AND IT MAKES THE HOUSE THAT TEMP. TURNING IT ALL THE WAY UP OR DOWN WON'T MAKE IT GET THERE ANY FASTER.

:mad:
 
On the discussion of Open Door and Close Door buttons: It depends on the elevator.

For some makes of elevator (and/or some models within a make) the Open Door/Close Door buttons only work when a maintenance key is engaged. That is, if you're moving loads of construction or maintenance equipment into and out of an elevator, you want the normal door movement function disengaged. There will be a manual control mode, where you hit the Open Door button and the door STAYS open until you have finished loading and hit the Close Door button.

The Open/Close function working after a brief delay seems a reasonable mode for elevators in heavy use (think hospital or office building) as well, but your standard apartment building elevator doesn't have that turned on normally. Or didn't as of when I was last up on these things, admittedly a decade ago.

I didn't go through on the workout shoe link, but I can say that walking an extra mile three times a week in ANY shoes will help shape up your buns...because it's additional exercise. ;)

And can I rant a bit about things that don't work that bloody well should? Any maintenance crew that does not replace the indicator arrow bulbs, so you can see if an elevator that has arrived is going Up or Down, should be taken out and horsewhipped. The hospital I was just working in had two--of course, on different banks and different floors--where the lights were out. The door opens...Is it going your way? Who knows? But while you dash inside to check the interior indicator--only to find it's not what you want--the elevator you need will come, and go, the next slot down... /end of rant.

Thanks for a fun thread, MK
 
John Albert said:
How about people who crank the thermostat all the way up or down, under the mistaken impression that the air conditioner/heat will cool/heat the house faster?

:boggled:

YOU SET IT TO THE TEMP YOU WANT AND IT MAKES THE HOUSE THAT TEMP. TURNING IT ALL THE WAY UP OR DOWN WON'T MAKE IT GET THERE ANY FASTER.

:mad:
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Thank you!!!
 
William Parcher said:
When I'm in an elevator I use the close button because there's often no need to wait for the built-in delay. I use it after other passengers get off on their floor too. It just makes the whole operation more speedy. I also will use the open button if I see somebody dashing towards the door and it is in the process of closing. You can hold the open button to let in a group of people. Usually these two buttons will control the door within a split second of pushing them.

None of this would be possible if those buttons didn't actually work.

In the US, elevators must pass regular official inspections for safety and operation. I wouldn't be surprised if functioning open/close buttons are necessary for approval.
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Never and I do mean never have I been in an elevator where the close doors button worked.

Rarely have I been in an office where the thermostats worked.




sadhatter said:
The entire article seems to be a giant load of misunderstanding. I think what they were getting at with this one is...

Some elevators ( most where i am) have a delay in which the close button does not work, to combat the knob who presses it the second he gets in. Usually shorter than the normal delay but there none the less.

What are these people expecting? It to close in an instant snapping shut with enough force to sever a limb?
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No, to close at the same speed - beginning when I hit that worthless #$%@ button.


John Albert said:
How about people who crank the thermostat all the way up or down, under the mistaken impression that the air conditioner/heat will cool/heat the house faster?

:boggled:

YOU SET IT TO THE TEMP YOU WANT AND IT MAKES THE HOUSE THAT TEMP. TURNING IT ALL THE WAY UP OR DOWN WON'T MAKE IT GET THERE ANY FASTER.

:mad:
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I used to live with someone who thought the air blew out at whatever temp you set it to. I like the idea actually. :)
 
I Ratant said:
The walk buttons around here merely turn on the walk sign when the green traffic light in the direction desired to walk comes on.
They don't alter the sequencing of the lights, which are synchronized to the traffic flow all along the streets.
I'd be surprised if it were any different anywhere.
Once will do the job.
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I used to live in an apartment off a little road that intersected with a main road and had a light. If I didn't hop out of my car and push the crosswalk button I'd sit there for 5-10 minutes waiting for the light to turn green., so in some places at least, they definitely change the sequencing.
 
The Elevator "Close Doors" Button: I know a few people in the elevator inspection business. If the "Close Door" button does not signal the door to close properly, they get flagged as deficient. At least in New York City. Maybe other places have this nonsense with keys making it work?

I could consult with my elevator friends some more, if anyone has any questions.

"HD" TV: HDTV works. The author even admits it. He is merely pointing out that some people hook them up wrong, and other people can't tell the difference, etc. So, why is this on a list of things that don't work?!

I would rather see "Expensive HDMI" cables on the list. They usually work, just not any better than lower-priced cables. Since the signal is digital there is nothing to be gained, in quality, from the added expense.

Walk Signal Buttons: My father was a traffic engineering consultant. Last time I brought up the subject of walking signal buttons, he basically said "They are supposed to work", and that a pedestrian who gets hit in that intersection could even sue a municipality if they were installed and never meant to work. This is true at least in the New York area. Perhaps other places may vary?

If anyone has questions about this, I suppose I could consult with some of Dad's colleagues.

Butt-Toning Shoes: I don't know enough about this one, but it looks like he makes a good point about them.

Office Thermostats: Depending on the office, I suppose this is possible. Several offices I work in had the thermostat locked behind a shield to prevent it from getting messed with.

Here is an amusing one I think they could have been added to the list:

Yacht Helicopters: At least half of the helicopters you see on yachts are actually non-flyable shells. They are feature-complete in all the details you can see from the outside: Full instrument panel, headsets; they might even have old flight-path documents lying around and stuff, on the seats. But, they won't have a working engine, or most of its internal parts. It's just there to look expensive, without being quite as expensive as the real thing.
 
John Albert said:
YOU SET IT TO THE TEMP YOU WANT AND IT MAKES THE HOUSE THAT TEMP. TURNING IT ALL THE WAY UP OR DOWN WON'T MAKE IT GET THERE ANY FASTER.
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In fairness, though, how would anyone know that from looking at the thermostat?
 
The shoes are an interesting case. Shoes with the convex soles and almost no heel (among other features hidden inside) were invented by MBT for a reason, for which they actually work. But when Reebok jumped on the bandwagon of the design, they changed the claim about what the shoes were for, to something else that they weren't designed for and don't do.

MBT stands for "Masai Barefoot Technoogy". The company was founded by a European guy who had noticed that the Masai don't have various problems that are common in more modern societies with our feet, ankles, knees, and I think even hips and lower back. It's about the stresses from walking on hard flat surfaces instead of natural ground, and the goal of the shoes is just to make it more like walking on natural ground. I can vouch for the fact that they do this, and that the benefit to one's feet and leg-joints from wearing them routinely for weeks or months is real, from personal experience. They also do even make some muscles work more than they would with normal shoes. But that's really just from the knees down, and even there, the effect is too small to detect from the outside.

So the shoes really do work for what they're meant for. It just doesn't have anything to do with what the most well-known company selling them lately says they do or were meant for.
 
5 Things You Think Work, But Actually Don't

- saying something smart in a JREF forum discussion to convince your debate opponent
- voting a person in elections
- drinking hot tea or doing whatever gimmick to heal flu
- donating money to poor hungry Africans
- donating money to JREF for the purpose of advancing its stated mission
 
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the "close door" button on the elevators at my work definitely don't do anything. People will press them over and over, or just really hard, and it makes no difference than if they'd just waited.
 
Elevator close door buttons work here (you will note that when Rebecca Watson was in Australia, there was no "elevatorgate" - coincidence? I think not).
 
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