My Gripe with Revolving Doors

If there is one thing I am passionate about, it is my utter disdain for revolving doors. The hate I hold in my heart is no joke; but like any opinion I hold, it is not without reason. In this blog, I will list why I am anti-revolving doors. I am not trying to convince you, because I do not need it to be justified. I know my truth. But any chance I get to talk about it, I will.

Picture from Pinterest

First, let’s acknowledge why someone may choose to defend this monstrosity. The revolving door is said to direct traffic flow and reduce air exchange. That’s why it was created. For a child, these are the second thing to an escalator. And for the rest of us, a revolving door is nice when someone enters right before you, because they do all the work and you barely have to push!

I will respond to the opposing side in bullet points, because of the complexity and size of my arguments.

• Impractical

  • If we are thinking logistically, a revolving doorway can fit at most 2 people in each section. Typically, there are 4 sections in each door. So, if you add the 2 and carry the 1… that’s 8 people max. Now, let’s consider a standard door. If we are following standard unspoken social laws, we will assign the right side of the door to be for those entering and the left side for those exiting. There is no limit, aside from the door frames, to the number of people that can fit into it. And for the record, it’s definitely more than 8 people.

• Waste of materials

  • Revolving doors use at least 2x the glass as standard doors, and for what? To look at the person’s, who’s in front of you, backside? Or to accidentally make eye contact with the person pushing across from you? No, thank you! Higher costs all for an alleged improved traffic flow.

• Not user-friendly

  • Revolving doors are extremely difficult for people with mobility issues. It is almost impossible to maneuver in the enclosed space of a revolving door comfortably. Also, there is no button to press to automatically open the door, like many two-way doors have.

• Inefficient

  • In theory, a revolving door directs traffic flow. But what about when I’m trying to enter the student center and there are 20 people trying to come in and out at the same time? A mass of people is clumped at the door waiting for their turn.

• Unaesthetic

  • Let us know compare two images, one of a revolving door and one of a standard door. I think they speak for themselves. One of the two has evidently more character. It’s also like, how are you gonna have an intricately designed building like the Field Museum, and then put a revolving door? It just takes away from the beauty that architectural design can have.

    

    Picture from Kenwindow.com

    
    

    

    Picture from Pinterest

• Eradicates ability for connection

  • With the revolving door, I am no longer able to commit the time-honored chivalrous act of holding the door open for the huzz. Also, it forces an awkward pause in our conversation that is solely reliant on the physical separation.

• Stressful

  • If a person ahead of you is pushing fast, it incites a feeling that can only be replicated in instances of life or death. And so, you have to rush to fit into the shrinking entrance to avoid getting hurt. A two-way door could and would never do that to you.

    
    

I will leave you with this- you can put up revolving doors at every entrance of every building in this city. You can force me to be a pawn in your sick little game, but you will NEVER get my support. A standard door allows more people to pass at one time. And isn’t that what everyone wants, at the end of the day? To go about their lives safely and efficiently.