Originally Posted by shark_can

That sign is not all that dumb as it appears to be. The Up/Down call buttons on an elevator can be confusing for people who come from countries that traditionally do not have elevators (like Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, etc. - these countries don't have many tall buildings, and hence elevators, because of the high incidence of power failures).

Thus when the uninitiated from those regions encounter the Up/Down button call button for the first time. There are three possibilities:

1. If you're on the sixth floor and see the elevator on the Ground floor, press UP to make the elevator to come UP to you. Or if you're on the Ground floor and you see that the elevator is on the 6th floor, press DOWN to make the elevator come DOWN to you.

OR

2. Press UP if you see that the elevator is above your floor to "call it" to your floor. Conversely, press DOWN if you see that the elevator is below your floor to call it to your floor.

OR

3. Press the Up or Down button in the direction that you want to go.

Any Westerner knows, because of living in societies that are rife with elevators, that #3 is the right option, but it may not always be apparent to someone from Bangladesh. This sign simply serves to dispels any doubts that such a newcomer may have.

Which just goes on to show how important cultural understanding is in this day and age.

Originally Posted by Confucius

In my experiences throughout the centuries, I think it is preferable that one should attend a prestigious university in order to be able to navigate elevators and lifts properly...

Originally Posted by mythic

did not think you was that old conf/

Originally Posted by Confucius

I've been around since the French Revolution...But wasn't in France at the time though...