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sissnitz photographed a door that, due to lack of handles on the right side, would complicate entry into this building.
The Doors were a great band, and one of their songs actually provides excellent advice on using doors: "Break on through to the other side." It may come as a great shock to those who really like to hang out chit-chatting in doorways all day, but doors are actually, by definition, a means of access. This means that they are a place for you to go through, not a place for you to stand in or near.
We know that the MBTA doesn't always seem like a source of helpful advice (y'know, since it can't even get a decent budget), but the constant admonition to "Move away from the doors" actually makes a lot of sense. Since doors, as we have established, are a means of access, no one can access the interior (or exterior) of the train if you are standing near them. We understand that it will be much easier for you to leave the train once you get to your stop if you stand by the doors the whole time, but it will not be easier for other people to gain access to where they want to go if you do that. The T is crowded and annoying, sure, but there's no reason for you to be the jerk in everyone's way. Just move away from those doors , okay?
Another important component of door use relates to the fact that two doors are often located right next to one another. You might call them "double doors." Shockingly, both doors can be used at the same time: one for people going in, one for people coming out. It's possible that the two doors were even placed side by side for this very purpose! This means that, if you are trying to get into an establishment and many people are coming out of one double door, you might try the innovative technique of opening the other door to get in, rather than standing in front of a perfectly functional door just waiting for everyone to come out the other side. We know that this may seem like an advanced door use technique, but we encourage you to try it. You'll be surprised by how easy it can be to use doors as a tool to get into and out of buildings! One tip: generally, you will want to use the door on the right when dealing with double doors.
After the jump: how to get away from a doorway once you have used one as a means of access.
For those who enjoy standing in or very near doorways, talking on cell phones or to friends or just to yourselves, we offer a helpful suggestion: the six-step rule. Simply take three good-sized steps forward and three steps to the side, and you should soon be in a position where you are no longer blocking a doorway, impeding everyone's access and making them want to pour the hot coffee they just got (from the Starbucks you will not allow them to leave) on your head. Once you have taken these six steps, people might hate you less, and that will be more pleasant for everyone involved.
A word of caution, though: look where you are going before taking your steps, as doors sometimes open onto places like "sidewalks." Sidewalks being sidewalks and not sidestands, there may sometimes be people walking—or even, in odd cases, running—along these "sidewalks." Thus, as you are entering the sidewalk traffic flow, you will need to look left and right and merge from your doorway position into a side"walking" position on the sidewalk. We may, in later weeks, move on to more detailed sidewalk merging lessons, perhaps even involving (eep!) strollers.
It may take some practice, but after reading this lesson and practicing the techniques a few times, you should soon be able to easily move through a door and out of the way (six-step rule) or into sidewalk (or even hallway) traffic. You should not be standing in or near doors (a means of access!) after successfully completing this door lesson. We hope it opens new doors for you both literally and figuratively. Just keep the immortal Jim Morrison in mind and "Break on through."
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