Infrastructure: doors: who uses the button?

Self-tutoring about institutional doors: the tutor makes some observations.

Some of the doors I walk through have buttons beside them that, if pushed, open the door “automatically.” I don’t see it as automatic, because you’re still doing something to open the door, just not pulling the latch.

What I’ve come to find interesting is who uses the door button rather than opening the door by the handle. My observations are that young people use the button more than older people do. Some young people, even walking up to the door with their hands free, push the button. Apparently, it’s a habit. Conversely, some older people with their hands full will gymnastically shift what they are carrying to free a hand to pull the door open, when they could just nudge the door button on the wall with a hip or knee. I’m one of those.

It’s interesting, anyway.