A mirror in an elevator seems so commonplace to us that we are even surprised when we get into a car without one. But have you ever wondered why elevators were equipped with mirrors? After all, at first glance, there is no functional need for them.

Several quite plausible explanations have appeared on the question and answer service Quora. It turns out that an elevator mirror performs several tasks at once

Anti-stress

The first elevators installed in buildings on the East Coast of the United States were very slow. And people who used them experienced some stress because they had to stand still for a long time, staring at a blank wall, and wait for the elevator to reach the desired floor. It made the ride seem even longer than it actually was.

It would take a long time to build a high-speed elevator, so the manufacturers decided to focus on the well-being of the passengers first. That's how they came up with the idea to put a mirror in the car. People began to look at themselves and think about their appearance, rather than how long the time in the lift was dragging on when there was nothing to do. Subsequent surveys showed that riders perceived the trips to be much faster after the mirrors were introduced, although the actual speed of travel did not change. From the United States, the approach moved to Europe and then spread around the world. It still works today - in an elevator, when you can't get cell service and can't flip through your phone, you can always look at a mirror, and it relieves unnecessary stress.

Mirrors have also proven to be useful for people suffering from claustrophobia. Mirrored surfaces make the cabin visually feel bigger, so the fear of being in a confined space is less likely to arise in such passengers.

Fight against vandalism

In the course of using mirrored elevators, it turned out that such cabins are less likely to suffer from vandalism. The explanation is simple. Even if a person is traveling alone, the presence of a mirror gives them the illusion that someone is watching them. Therefore, they make more effort to behave in a decent manner - they don't litter, don't paint the walls, and generally behave with the utmost dignity.

Safety

Mirrors also allow you to control the behavior of strangers who are in the elevator with you. After all, you can see their hands in the reflection - whether they are trying to pick other people's pockets or not. Therefore, you feel less anxious during the trip.

Inclusiveness

Over time, elevators with mirrors have helped to develop a barrier-free space. A person in a wheelchair can safely enter and exit a car equipped in this way in reverse. There is no need to turn around - all the necessary maneuvers can be performed by looking in the mirror. Unless, of course, the width of the door allows the wheelchair to go inside the elevator.

Earlier, OBOZ.UA published an explanation of why it can be dangerous to use a sign in the hotel with a request to clean the room.

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