Pushing Buttons

Often, while attending my daily appointments, I ride elevators in high-security buildings. 

I often wonder why, when I'm the first person at the elevator bank to push the UP button, another person will follow me and also push the UP button. This makes me feel like the other person doesn't trust that my button-pushing was effective. I usually go ahead and hit it again, in effect, canceling out the other riders' button-push.

Sometimes, after boarding the elevator car, after I push the Floor 15 button, someone else will also push the Floor 15 button ... even if the Floor 15 button is already illuminated.

Then there's the clown who doesn't realize that when they're waiting for the elevator on the 14th floor and they want to go to the Lobby, they should push the button indicating the vertical direction they want to go in ... not the direction they want the elevator to travel in to pick them up. 

Like, when the full elevator from the Lobby to the 15th Floor stops on the 14th floor, the person who is waiting outside the parting doors is genuinely confused that the elevator they requested has an illuminated UP arrow. But, what the hell, said-person won't just wait until it comes back down. Said-person will cram themselves into the sweaty, crowded car and "take the ride."

They make it to the next floor and the car empties. Usually said-person stays in the elevator, blocking both the exiting and incoming passengers. Inevitably, the full car will stop again on the 14th floor, as said-person didn't just push the UP button while they were waiting, but both buttons -- insuring that they will make it to their destination. And the denizens in the car groan as the car stops for no apparent reason.

The guilty party won't say, "Sorry. My bad." Instead they roll their eyes as their little trip has now become a journey. And they do it time and time again.