Some immutable law, whose name is unknown to me, states that every time you are on a long ride in a lift (as I shall henceforth refer to it), any intermediate stop to let people off is accompanied by some fool trying to get on it for a ride in the opposite direction. I don't particularly blame them - I'm sure they're too busy thinking about Very Important Things, like the economy, or lunch, to look at the lights on the wall.

However! If the lift bell in each lobby was composed of two tones (a low "bong and higher "bing"), they could be played "bong-bing" to indicate a lift going up, or "bing-bong" for a downward journey. Pretty soon, they would instinctively ignore the lift irrelevant to their trip, and everyone's happy.

(I've never heard such bells in a lift lobby, and cursory searching does not reveal such a system, but I won't be surprised if it's already well baked.)
-- friendlyfire, May 19 2011

The real beauty of this is that it will give lift-riders another layer of legitimacy to their elevator fury.
-- calum, May 19 2011


Clearly, the lift should play the fake orgasm sounds from "When Harry met Sally" when going up, and the terrified scream of someone plummeting to their certain death when going down.
-- hippo, May 19 2011


Oh actually, that's an idea - the to-climax part of French Kiss as against the post-climax part of French Kiss. Discolift!
-- calum, May 19 2011


[calum] Any idea with the title "Discolift" will get a [+] vote from me*

[*] usual small-print
-- hippo, May 19 2011


Not baked as described, but most elevators in the US have a common practice of two "dings" for down and one "ding" for up. It is subtle and most riders do not notice at all.
-- cblunds, May 19 2011


Can the doors make a "Swishhhh" sound, too ?
-- 8th of 7, May 19 2011


Just like that, yes.
-- 8th of 7, May 19 2011



random, halfbakery