Interesting User Behaviour

Earthhorse

So I get the LUAS in every morning and a few times now the following scenario has unfolded.

The LUAS pulls up as usualm only the carriage I normally get on has a big sign with red letters on it stating, "DOOR OUT OF ORDER". The message is repeated underneath in its Irish equivalent. This sign is approximately four or five inches above the button people press to open the door, which should open automatically anyway, and against the undecorated glass it's noticeable.

So I stroll to the next available door, no problems, only to observe at least one fellow commuter still poking at the button as I take my seat. Eventually they give up and enter via a different door but the pattern is repeated at nearly every station I pass.

So here's the question. Why do people make life difficult for themselves? Why not read the sign? It is there to be read after all. We're not talking about some obscure or lengthy operating system error message here either, just a simple "DOOR OUT OF ORDER" sign.

Why keep pounding away at the door? Is it because it's what they've done before?

Merrion

If the sign were in the way of the button then they would have to take notice of it (in programming terms if the button were disabled) but as it is they are on automatic pilot.

Hobbes

Maybe they can't read?

Earthhorse

No, I'm pretty sure they just don't read.

That's a good point Merrion, though I'm not sure how practical it would be to put the sign over the button as it might be more likely to fall off.

In programming terms, if you couldn't disable some function, but only warn people about the implication of using it, they wouldn't read your warning, even if it were easy to understand.

Merrion

What has happened is that the "push the button and the door opens" operation is so easy that it has been stored in the automatic memory (i.e. it is practically an instinct). Unfortunately instinctive behaviour is difficult to modify even when it doesn't work.

In IT the equivalent to this is the hotkey combination that does something. When you change what a key press does you cause great confusion.

Evil Phil

Maybe they can't read english.

Earthhorse

Maybe some of them can't read English, but I find it hard to believe that on several occasions over five or six stops, none of them could. It's not impossible I'll grant, and I did consider it before posting, but I don't think it's the case.

I guess instinctive or programmed behaviour is a valid explanation to a point but it doesn't explain why some people (eg me) don't respond that way and others do.

NotMe

Merrion wrote:

In IT the equivalent to this is the hotkey combination that does something. When you change what a key press does you cause great confusion.

Heh, true. I know I've hit Ctrl-S to save a draft in gmail. And the other day I found myself typing "Esc wq!" in Eclipse!

stevenmu

I've seen people do similar things, they'll actually read the sign, or appear to at least, then press the button anyway (just in case the sign is wrong), then they'll read the sign again (in case they missed something the first time), then they'll try the button again (there's always a chance pressing it twice will fix it).

In IT I've seen people go to delete a file and get a warning, they don't like the look of the warning so they click cancel, they try to delete the file and surprise surprise the warning comes up again. At this point they turn around and ask me how to get rid of the warning message

I put it down to some people expecting everything to work in the way that's most convenient for them at any particular moment. They don't seem to understand, or even want to try and understand, that sometimes there's a reason for things being the way they are, or that there's a good chance that 5 minutes later they'll be very happy it works the way it does.

vector

stevenmu wrote:

I've seen people do similar things, they'll actually read the sign, or appear to at least, then press the button anyway.

look at all the "Road works" signs around the place, where there are no works.
signs don't expire

some aren't even valid. For example a sign on a closed door of a travel agents with opening times 9am-4pm... you arrive at 4.30pm, you don't read the sign you try the door first because while the sign may contain good info it is reality that matters, if the door opens then the place is likely open.

signs are quite often designed to massage the ego of their producers, and provide no useful information to the average reader, they contribute to information overload and are ignored. Like this road was buyilt with EU funds

and obvious signs telling you what you already know, "please have correct change ready" outside the door of a bus

and signs that are good on paper but don't work due to overcrowding, "no standing in front of line" of a bus

clearz

For tomorrows experment bring your own signs. One with DOOR OUT OF ORDER PLEASE USE OTHER DOOR

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> and the other with DOOR OUT OF ORDER PLEASE USE OTHER DOOR <

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and see how confused they get.

Zaph0d

Signs on public transport are usually advertisements or random Irish translations ("ola" beside the oilcap for CIE engineers who speak Irish but not English).

So people just don't see them in case they waste brain cycles reading a Vodafone ad or the Irish for 'white line'. Same problem with putting something on a webpage and having it mistaken for a banner ad.

One cost of advertising is that people ignore you when you really have something to say.

SeanW

shouldn't this be in Soc - Commuting/Transport?

BlueSpud

If they fed the power from the over-head lines to the buttons of the doors that did not work, people would only press the button once, and then stop......, they would stop doing a lot of silly things.

clearz

BlueSpud wrote:

If they fed the power from the over-head lines to the buttons of the doors that did not work, people would only press the button once, and then stop......, they would stop doing a lot of silly things.

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