pressing my buttons

I don’t know if it’s that Japanese people are impatient or if it’s a unusual social custom, but the Japanese cannot stand to wait the four seconds for an elevator door to close on its own - they must press the “door close” button. And I have never seen anyone push it just once. Click click click click click, until the doors have made irreversible progress.

I’ve taken it upon myself to do an experiment of sorts. If I’m in an elevator with Japanese people, I stand right next to the button panel, but don’t push the “door close” button. I see how long it takes for someone to cross the elevator and reach over me to tap tap tap those doors into closing just a little faster. Without fail, someone does so within three seconds. Of course, it is entirely possible that they think I can’t read the kanji for “door close,” and therefore can’t do the honors myself, but even if that were the case, what is wrong with waiting?

When the elevator arrives at its destination, there is an equal amount of button pushing. This custom, however, may be seen as a form of Japanese humility. Delaying their own exit, someone takes it upon themselves to hold the “door open” button until everyone else has left the elevator. If any passengers are continuing on, the door holder kindly risks the possibility of losing a limb by pressing the “door close” button as they hop out of the elevator, to speed the remaining people on their way.

From years of these observations, I must conclude one of three things:
1. Japanese elevators are years behind technology, not yet being equipped with sensors to prevent doors from closing on innocent elevator riders. (But not likely.)
2. Japanese people have an innate fear of elevator doors.
3. Japanese people like to push buttons.