Let me tell you about one of my biggest pet peeves: double doors that aren’t. You know, at one time, doors were simple. You had one door, you opened it and you walked through. None of this nonsense with two doors taunting you with the illusion of choice, where only one actually opens. Why have two doors if you’re only going to let people use one? It’s like putting two lanes on a road and then blocking one off for no reason. It makes me think of playing a twisted game of “Let’s Make a Deal,” except the prize of choosing Door #2 is a bruised hand and a healthy dose of frustration.
First off, the effects of these “single double doors” are more than just a minor inconvenience. For one, you can injure your hand or arm. Picture this: you’re in a hurry, maybe carrying something heavy or balancing a hot cup of coffee. You grab the handle, and you pull (or push). Nothing happens. You pull harder, thinking maybe it’s just stuck. Still nothing. By this time your hand and arm feel like they’re about to fall off, and you’re wearing that coffee. You stand there wincing and muttering your favourite profanities.
Then there’s the tripping hazard. You’re walking briskly, maybe even a little distracted, and you go to push the door open. Except it doesn’t open. You come to a sudden, jarring stop, and if you’re not careful, you’ll trip over your own feet. I’ve seen it happen. People stumbling, trying to regain their balance, all because they expected a door to do what doors are supposed to do: open!
And let’s not forget the embarrassment. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of standing in front of a door, pulling and pushing, while people behind you are waiting. It’s a door, for crying out loud! It shouldn’t require a manual to operate. I mean, who needs dignity anyway?
Who thought this was a good idea? Some door salesperson must have had a field day convincing people that they needed double doors. “Everyone has them.” they said. “It’s the height of sophistication.” they said. “It’ll make your entranceway so much more impressive.” they said. It’s a brilliant sales pitch—twice the door, twice the price, half the usefulness.
So, here’s my plea to architects, businesses, retailers and anyone else involved in the design of buildings: if you’re going to install double doors, make sure both of them open. It’s not rocket science. It’s just common sense. And it’ll save a lot of us grumpy old folks a whole bunch of frustration.