The weight restriction in lifts are unnecessary

Thanks Alistair. Here is my rebuttal to your points. ==Rebuttal== R1) Alistair argues: We could just write to elevator operators and ask them to post weight limits outside the elevator This is non-responsive since weight limits are posted inside elevators now, and there has not been a single death from an elevator being over capacity. This proves that even if people don't read the sign, the other safety features work. My analysis about "maximum capacity" signs in restaurants also takes out this argument, since people would ignore the sign even if it were posted outside the elevator. Remember, when the elevator doors open, you only have a few seconds to decide whether you want to enter. Most people are too lazy or not good enough at math to guestimate the weights of the current 11 passengers and decide whether they are able to enter the elevator without it being over capacity. In addition, I'm glad my opponent cites the Inside Higher Education article. This article mentions that college students cram into elevators, in spite of the weight restriction signs, because there is peer pressure. Another reason these signs fail. If there are 5 people waiting for an elevator, there is peer pressure to ignore the sign, if others do as well. In one famous psychological study, study participants were asked to wait in a hallway with two other "study participants" (who were actually paid actors who were in on it); the study administrators had smoke pumped into the hallway and the fake study participants ignored the smoke. In nearly all cases, the real study participants took their cues from the fake participants and ignored the smoke as well. This demonstrates that peer pressure is another reason people will ignore signs. Another reason is that people have a busy schedule and have places to be; people ignore posted speed limit signs for this reason. Lastly, it will be unclear in a social setting who should be the one to sit out. If there are 5 people and one person needs to wait, it is difficult to determine, in the 3 seconds when the elevator doors open, who should be the one to have to wait. For all these reasons, people will ignore signs no matter what. The article my opponent cites only further proves this point. 2) Industrial lifts Firstly, industrial elevators are outside the scope of the topic. When we say "elevator" with no modifier, we are always referring to a passenger elevator. If we are referring to an industrial elevator, we always say the word industrial before "elevator." They are two entirely different, yet related, products. In the same way that normal glasses and industrial glasses (http://eyelandvision.net...) are two different, yet related, products. Second, industrial lifts are all hydraulic lifts. Hydraulic lifts cannot free fall. This means, as my opponent points out, the worst thing that could happen is that the industrial lift travels slower than normal. Engineers still limit floor space in industrial lifts, as well, to ensure that cargo will not exceed weight capacity. Lastly, heavy industrial lifts are typically used only by the owners, who will know what the weight limit is, without the need for signs. To negate my opponent's example specifically: if a rushed chef sends 20 lobsters in an elevator, there is not an elevator in existence that would be over capacity from 20 lobsters. I want a real example of where someone was put at risk from an industrial elevator. 3) The Inside Higher Education article First of all, my opponent makes no arguments from this article; he merely directs me to read it. The article mentions someone who died in an elevator from a door failure. The elevator was also over capacity, but the reason the guy died was because the door failed to close before the elevator started moving, so this guy got crushed between the elevator and the floor as he tried to enter. The elevator being overcapacity is not what killed him (the elevator cable did NOT snap). In addition, there was a posted weight limit in the elevator, meaning people ignored it, proving weight restriction signs fail. Lastly, the article mentions that the elevator in question was in dire need of maintenance, which is why the door mechanism failed. The guy would have died even if the elevator had been empty because he entered at the last minute, as the elevator was already starting to move, and the door did not close properly, preventing him from doing so. As I mentioned earlier, not a single death has occurred in an elevator due to over capacity. All the deaths were due to other malfunctions. This proves my point. Please affirm. My opponent has merely proven that people completely ignore weight restrictions and as a result, we must rely completely on automatic safety features.