The weight restriction in lifts are unnecessary

Thanks for the debate, Alistair. ==Definitions== Lifts: non-American word for elevators Weight restriction: the posted weight limit inside elevators Necessary: according to the American Heritage Dictionary, necessary means "absolutely essential" or "needed to achieve a certain result." The result in this case is to prevent death or serious injury from the elevator free falling through the shaft due to excess weight. If I can prove that posted weight limits fail to accomplish their goal and safety can (and must) be achieved through other means, I win. ==My case== 1) Weight restrictions fail Weight restrictions are posted on a small sign INSIDE the elevator. The first problem is that if there are too many people inside the elevator, the sign becomes obscured. The second problem is that if you're reading the sign, you're already inside the elevator and it is too late to exit. If the car is overweight at that point, it is too late. Third, people don't pay attention to those signs, just like the "maximum capacity" signs in restaurants (which are supposed to protect you in the case of a fire evacuation), people simply glance at the sign and ignore it. This avoidance of the sign is further enhanced by the fact that people are too lazy to do the math. If there are 12 people in the elevator and the maximum capacity is 1700 pounds, it is very unlikely that someone is going to read the sign, guestimate everyone's weight, and decide whether or not to enter the elevator him/herself, all before the elevator doors close. Since people 100% ignore these signs, they obviously serve no legitimate safety purpose. To avoid human error, we need to ensure that the elevator has enough safety features to prevent collapse. 2) Safety features The first key safety feature is floor space. People will not lie on the ground and dog pile on top of each other. If an elevator has a low maximum capacity, the engineer can ensure that people will not exceed the weight limit by limiting the floor space so that only the correct number of people can fit inside the elevator. A second key safety feature is building redundancy into the elevator's carrying capacity. If the elevator can house 10 people, an engineer might make the elevator capable of carrying 10,000 lbs, which is well beyond what could fit inside the elevator. This is common practice. Schindler USA Elevator Corporation explains, "The steel cables are very strong, and can safely hold several times the weight of the elevator and its full load of passengers." [1] A third key safety feature is the governor, which prevents the elevator from moving if it accelerates at too fast a speed. [1] This means that if the elevator is too heavy and accelerates too quickly, the governor will kick in immediately. Furthermore, modern elevators have a weight sensor and beep if they are over capacity, the doors won't shut, and the elevator refuses to move. As Schindler explains, "Today's elevator systems incorporate a wide variety of features designed to help reduce the chances of accidents and give passengers a quick, dependable ride." [1] Multiple redundant safety features prevent accidents and correct for inevitable human error (with ignoring weight limits, for example). Computer chips in modern elevators make them extremely safe: "Any deviation can trigger the safeties in far less time than a purely mechanical reaction would require. In addition, all safety features are redundant, meaning they would all have to fail simultaneously before an elevator could fall." [2] There are two types of elevators: cable and hydraulic. Because cable systems are built with a capacity many times above what can fit inside the car, there has not been a single death in a cable elevator car due to overcapacity. [3] All the elevator deaths are comprised of repairmen who fell, door malfunctions, or people falling down empty shafts. The second system is a hydraulic system. Because hydraulic systems have use pressurized liquids instead of cables (which can snap), there cannot be a catastrophic failure in a hydraulic system. Even if the elevator was over capacity, it would still merely glide slowly downwards due to the fluid remaining in the cylinder. [4] And this assumes that all the other safety features failed first. So since there are no cables that can snap, no one has or can die in a hydraulic elevator due to overcapacity. Because people ignore the weight limits and because safety features do a better job, I urge you to affirm. [1] http://tinyurl.com... [2] http://tinyurl.com... [3] http://tinyurl.com... [4] http://tinyurl.com...