“In 1987, I was involved in renovating office space in Rochester, New York, funding about 200 telemarketer booths,” recalls Vaughn Langless, 2003 researcher at Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration News.
Part of the refurbishment included the installation of new rooftop air conditioners as well as heaters. The installation was successful, but then the season changed from summer to autumn, and his team was inundated with calls from disgruntled employees suffering from three bears syndrome.
“We get calls to raise the temperature in the morning when it’s cooler outside, and then we get calls to lower the temperature inside in the afternoon when it’s warmer outside,” Langless explained.
The team came up with a solution, which was to automatically change the temperature by a few degrees throughout the day to keep most people happy. However, some requests continue until a better solution is found.
“We’ve installed ‘virtual stats’ along with ‘master stats’ and given the floor manager a key to the stats — now, with the manager’s permission, residents can ‘control’ their space as needed,” Langless told the air conditioner. , heating and cooling news.
“Virtual statistics do nothing but give residents the impression that they are in control of the HVAC system and the psychological impact of their work environment. Our support calls have disappeared, and as far as I know, the system has been up and running since 1987, set up and running. .”
This anecdote is not alone. The website conducted a survey of installers and found that 70 percent of installers installed fake thermostats while on the job. The reasons for installing fake thermostats are varied, but include everything from overusing thermostats in public canteens to preventing employees from arguing over temperature in places where temperature-sensitive equipment can break down. In each case, instead of not having a thermostat, or having only one, such as in a manager’s office, decision makers preferred to install a fake thermostat to give the population or employees the illusion of control.
However, there’s nothing better than being a kid, running out into the road, pushing the crosswalk button, and feeling the brute force flow through you as the car comes to a stop at your command. Or the same good feeling when you press the door close button in front of strangers and watch the elevator doors close.
Well, sorry to interrupt, but a lot of the buttons you press don’t actually do anything at all.
Depending on where you are, pressing the walk button at a crosswalk may not do anything. Pressing a button in New York tells the system that you want to cross the street and speeds up the light switching accordingly. That is, if you live in 1975. In the 1980s, most of these buttons were deactivated in favor of central control, but instead of the costly process of removing inactive buttons, it makes absolutely no sense to leave them there for people to press.
Pedestrian crossings in the US and UK generally work the same way. There are also junctions that you can click on to affect the flow of traffic and stop you so you can pass. For example, a separate intersection in the middle of the street, rather than an intersection at an intersection.
However, there are many (like most intersections in London) that just make you feel better about waiting. To complicate matters further, a Forbes study found that many traffic lights operate depending on the time of day. Press the walk button during the day (when traffic is high) and you won’t get hurt. Press at night and you will feel the power again as some people actually control the flow at night.
The same survey found that in Manchester, 40% of walk buttons don’t change lights during peak hours, while in New Zealand you can press a button whenever you want and know it won’t affect your day.
In regards to elevator door close buttons, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 prohibits their use by those fully employed in the US to ensure that elevator doors remain open long enough for people using walkers or wheelchairs to enter.
So don’t forget to hit those buttons, they might even make you feel better. But most of the time, don’t expect them to work.
James is a published author of four books on popular history and science. He specializes in history, supernatural sciences and all things unusual.