I don't want to be on the right floor!

[Dave1982]

I'm in the midst of another stint at [hospital site].

As I have explained before, the layout of the building can be somewhat confusing. Since the hospital is built on a hillside, the main entrance is actually on the 4th floor. Despite every elevator having a star next the 4 button (the universal way fo marking the exit floor) people go to the wrong floor all the time. Usually, when we find someone wandering on the 1st or 2nd floor we just direct them to the 4th floor and they go on their way with no fuss.

Yesterday, I was on one of the elevators along with a woman from the messenger/escort department. It stopped on the 4th floor and a patient walked in. The doors closed and it started goign down to the 1st floor (where we were both going)

Messenger/Escort: What floor?

Patient: I'm trying to get back to the parking garage.

M/E: That's the 4th floor.

Patient (very indignantly): NO IT ISN'T!!!!!!!!!!

Me: Yeah, it's on the 4th floor, where you just were.

Patient: it can't be!

M/E: Yes it is, sir. You know what? I'll take you there.

I got off on the 1st floor and M/E went back to the 4th to show this guy to the door.

This was a new one on me. He was already on the right floor and refuses to to believe it? And gets indignant about it?

[sms001]

This was a new one on me. He was already on the right floor and refuses to to believe it? And gets indignant about it?

Strangely enough, not new to me, and bizarrely similar circumstances - hillside hospital, off (2nd) floor main entryway. I was in and out of there for about six weeks and since I was dressed biz-cas, got asked the question often.

Many were indeed indignant, as though I had planned the building. And some objected so vociferously that I admitted my error, told them they were right, and strode off down the corridor of the SECOND floor just to spite myself.

[cindybubbles]

If we changed the numbering so that "4" would be "G" and introduced minus levels, would that change their way of thinking?

[mathnerd]

If we changed the numbering so that "4" would be "G" and introduced minus levels, would that change their way of thinking?

In the US, the math would make people's brains explode.

[Firecrackers Not Included]

Might as well just do pictograms of some sort. That's all we can handle anymore.
Enough with all this reading garbage.

[Chromatix]

My current apartment block is built on the side of a hill. The front door is on level K (local abbreviation for "basement") while the back door is on level 1 (normal designation of ground level, locally). I usually go out of the front door, but when going to the back door, I sometimes forget to change which button I press in the lift.

It is also normal practice here to make the ground-floor button distinctive in several different ways, to assist the blind if nothing else. In this building, the distinction is applied to the "1" button, not the "K" button.

In my experience, many buildings with particularly weird geography also have non-standard floor naming schemes - especially if they have to do with public transport. Even if they don't, they will have large labels explaining what to find on each floor. An asterisk isn't enough to indicate the exit to the car park - a big sign saying "CAR PARK" would be better.

[EricKei]

An asterisk isn't enough to indicate the exit to the car park - a big sign saying "CAR PARK" would be better.

Or simply a little picture of a car ^_^

It's my understanding that Japan (and likely several other countries) use G for the ground floors, 1-2-3, etc for the floors above it, and B1-B2-B3 for the ones below it. Makes sense to me.

[otakuneko]

Now that's confusing as heck! The ground floor IS the first floor! /DumbAmurikan

[Deserted]

Now that's confusing as heck! The ground floor IS the first floor! /DumbAmurikan

Not necessarily. I've seen elevators where ground floor was "G", the floor above that was "1", etc.

[Seanette]

I never knew why that star appeared on elevator control panels, so maybe that's not as common knowledge as some might think.

[Mikkel]

My current apartment block is built on the side of a hill. The front door is on level K (local abbreviation for "basement") while the back door is on level 1 (normal designation of ground level, locally).

In my experience, many buildings with particularly weird geography also have non-standard floor naming schemes - especially if they have to do with public transport.

In a local hospital, where I often fetch patients, they have a wonderfully confusing set of elevators. One end of the building they have the entrance at K for basement and then T for tunnel if you want to go to the sub-basement. The other end of the building you will find the buttons reversed. T for terrain where the entrance is and K for (sub) basement

[CrappyToHelp]

In a local multi-storey, there are three entrances. The lowest is on the ground floor. Then it goes floor one, floor two, floor three, floor four, floor five and exit, floor six, floor seven, floor eight and sexit.

It's built into a hill - it also seems to make sense. I can't see how it can't be this simple elsewhere.

[Ironclad Alibi]

It's built into a hill - it also seems to make sense. I can't see how it can't be this simple elsewhere.

It is simple, unless the person looking for the exit is simple-minded.

[dalesys]

... and sexit.

This is where I get off!

[DGoddessChardonnay]

This is where I get off!

Make sure you clean up afterwards . . . nobody likes sloppy seconds.