Revolving door etiquette
Popular culture paints them as quaint, or cute, or even fun! Buddy loved them.
I, however, can’t seem to figure them out. Our building has a revolving front door, BUT, it also offers two “regular” doors to each side, and I can bet you that 90+% of the people coming in or out use the normal doors.
Why? Because revolving doors are dangerous, and confusing and just plain weird.
A building near mine where I get coffee every morning (and sometimes lunch) has a revolving door that’s REQUIRED. The doors to the side are locked? Or maybe only open from the inside? I’ve tried them and they seem locked, but that would be a fire hazard, no? In any case, everyone uses the revolving door in this building (there’s one on the opposite side of the building as well) and signs make it CLEAR that you’re supposed to use them.
So, exactly HOW are you supposed to use them? I put this to Dinah dinahprincedalybecause I’m guessing she’s had AGES of figuring out how to use them and maybe she can give me tips because I’ve been confusing and downright frustrated by them for a year now.
Before I continue the rant, note that I’ll refer to the sections inside a revolving door as “slices.” Most of the doors I’ve ever used have four sections/slices that resemble pie. So at any given time four travelers or groups can be in a slice at a time.
All these scenarios have happened to me IN REAL LIFE, not possibles, but actuals.
Approaching the door from the outside while someone comes from the inside at the exact time. Who has the right of way? If I wait for the inside person to go first, I then must time my entry exactly as I don’t want to enter the slice they occupy as they’re leaving (seems rude). So, wait until they’re totally finished? Or just jump in once they start moving the door? Once in, who is in charge of how FAST the door goes? The first person? The strongest person? The meanest person?
Approaching the door with elderly woman with cane in front of me. She gets in a slice, and starts to try to move it. It’s heavy and she’s having trouble. With a REGULAR door I’d just reach over her head and hold it for her… but I can’t with the revolving. Also if I enter the slice after her, I’ll need to either allow her to move the door as much as she can, with whatever speed she can muster - OR I can push the door and run her ass over. Again, I just wait until she’s exited the revolving door.
Child comes at the door from the inside while I attempt to enter it from the outside. She’s running and Dad isn’t paying much attention. She gets in a slice and pushes with all her might and begins to pull a Buddy (see video above) and I just wait until clueless Dad sees me out there and then enters the child’s slice and finishes exiting while I just stand outside (lucky, not in the rain). Sighs.
Dude approaches the door with a large box. I stand outside. He gets in, but the box makes it so the slice won’t move. He puts the box down, exits and pushes to get the box to the outside, and I reach over and pull out the box, then he exits from the next slice. He laughs and says “Thank you.” And I’m all “These doors are a fuckin nightmare” (said in my head).
WHY do these exist at all? What purpose do they serve? It’s crazy.
Click to viewI, however, can’t seem to figure them out. Our building has a revolving front door, BUT, it also offers two “regular” doors to each side, and I can bet you that 90+% of the people coming in or out use the normal doors.
Why? Because revolving doors are dangerous, and confusing and just plain weird.
A building near mine where I get coffee every morning (and sometimes lunch) has a revolving door that’s REQUIRED. The doors to the side are locked? Or maybe only open from the inside? I’ve tried them and they seem locked, but that would be a fire hazard, no? In any case, everyone uses the revolving door in this building (there’s one on the opposite side of the building as well) and signs make it CLEAR that you’re supposed to use them.
So, exactly HOW are you supposed to use them? I put this to Dinah dinahprincedalybecause I’m guessing she’s had AGES of figuring out how to use them and maybe she can give me tips because I’ve been confusing and downright frustrated by them for a year now.
Before I continue the rant, note that I’ll refer to the sections inside a revolving door as “slices.” Most of the doors I’ve ever used have four sections/slices that resemble pie. So at any given time four travelers or groups can be in a slice at a time.
All these scenarios have happened to me IN REAL LIFE, not possibles, but actuals.
Approaching the door from the outside while someone comes from the inside at the exact time. Who has the right of way? If I wait for the inside person to go first, I then must time my entry exactly as I don’t want to enter the slice they occupy as they’re leaving (seems rude). So, wait until they’re totally finished? Or just jump in once they start moving the door? Once in, who is in charge of how FAST the door goes? The first person? The strongest person? The meanest person?
Approaching the door with elderly woman with cane in front of me. She gets in a slice, and starts to try to move it. It’s heavy and she’s having trouble. With a REGULAR door I’d just reach over her head and hold it for her… but I can’t with the revolving. Also if I enter the slice after her, I’ll need to either allow her to move the door as much as she can, with whatever speed she can muster - OR I can push the door and run her ass over. Again, I just wait until she’s exited the revolving door.
Child comes at the door from the inside while I attempt to enter it from the outside. She’s running and Dad isn’t paying much attention. She gets in a slice and pushes with all her might and begins to pull a Buddy (see video above) and I just wait until clueless Dad sees me out there and then enters the child’s slice and finishes exiting while I just stand outside (lucky, not in the rain). Sighs.
Dude approaches the door with a large box. I stand outside. He gets in, but the box makes it so the slice won’t move. He puts the box down, exits and pushes to get the box to the outside, and I reach over and pull out the box, then he exits from the next slice. He laughs and says “Thank you.” And I’m all “These doors are a fuckin nightmare” (said in my head).
WHY do these exist at all? What purpose do they serve? It’s crazy.