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As if life wasn't difficult enough over here due to natural shortages, certain Russian institutions have decided to create some out of thin air. The subway system gets ridiculously crowded around rush hour. Very often you will see a massive clot of people outside the entrance pushing to get in. I'm talking about groups of fifty-odd people at least. I decided to brave this torrent because I was in enough of a hurry that I needed the subway. What I found still befuddles me.
The reason there is such a backup of people isn't a lack of room on the interior of the building. The bottleneck is caused by the fact that only five of the ten doors are open. Somebody, somewhere, proclaimed that even though there are ten fully functioning doors (meaning they can open), only five of them should be left unlocked. The result, of course, is the artificial shortage of entrance space, and the ensuing crowd of pushy commuters.
Additionally, at my university, there is a big door frame containing two individual doors. The great administration gods have decreed that only one will be open, and the other shall be eternally locked. This creates a nightmare for traffic as both incoming and outgoing students are forced to use the same door, and when classe let out we can once again see a pushing crowd of people trying to leave. While this inefficiency and waste in terms of traffic usage is bad enough, I can only imagine what a nightmare scenario would occur if there were a fire, or some other reason to evacuate the building. All because they don't want to unlock a stupid door.
This policy is in practice practically everywhere. Though there are typically three or four escalators in each subway station, only two are usually turned on. Again creating an artifical shortage of exit space and forcing people to act like rabid, bitter, hyenas as they shove their way onto the only active escalator.
I understand that they may leave some escalators off to save energy, but turn them on for rush hour!! And the electricity bit doesn't account for why doors remain locked. It's as if the natives feel it would be Russia without artificial shortages, it seems to be an integral part of the culture here.
Posted by Owen at November 21, 2003 09:18 PM | TrackBackUm... this surprises you why, exactly ? This very exact policy is the reason for the economic collapse of the Soviet Union: they manage their natural resources and agriculture in exactly the same way. In fact, the shortage mentality is built directly into the Russian psyche by now, in a way that no Big Mac with Coke will ever be able to dislodge. My guess is that this is because of the socialist way of life: when one's own work has no meaning (since everyone is equal anyway, right ?), one a). does as shoddy a job as possible, and b). grabs whatever sheds of illusory power (viz. the subway gates) that one can. The colorarry to this is that the "line-competitive" behavior is also built into the psyche: you are actually supposed to bump other people out of the line, by force if necessary. Survival of the fittest always finds a way to reassert itself.
Posted by: Bugmaster at November 22, 2003 01:04 AMDoes that mean that they've managed to build this into our psyche as well? I go to a lot of places where they keep the other door locked, so to speak. Or you can just go to Walmart. Half the city's population and only 7 open checkstands.
Owen, do some flies in the gym and practice your shoving skills.
Posted by: Jason at November 22, 2003 05:00 AMAt least half of your doors are open. Amgen is sealed to the outside world. If you lose your ID, you are a xenomorphic system that contributes nothing - except bioburden. Our cafeterias, rest areas, gym, everything... if you do not belong, you know it.
However, I do sympathize and feel that you are completely justified in your rant.
See ? For a normal American, such as Tony (well, ok... for a normal Progenitor), artificial shortages on such a global scale are impossible to comprehend. If the extra gates are closed, then there must be some security reason behind it, like at Amgen, right ? Hah. If only.
Posted by: Bugmaster at November 22, 2003 10:23 AMGood thing you didn't go to Moscow:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2003-11-23-moscow-fire_x.htm
Posted by: Grant at November 24, 2003 07:24 AMWow. That is bad, Tony. I guess I shouldn't complain about Wal-Mart anymore. But I will anyway, because their's has nothing to do with "security" (or the perception thereof), but laziness.
Although, I dealt with a similar problem working at Hastings (a really low end cross between Borders and Best Buy). The logistics say that fast checkout and no wait makes happy customers, and happy customers are repeat customers. Happy customers also refer their friends (more customers). More customers means more money. Not only that, but it's pretty easy to make up for the loss of training lots of employees. However, in the interest of the "quick buck," they scramble like mad (and make lots of mistakes) with fewer employees.
It would seem that applies here as well. Opened doors mean less time spent in-transit. Less time in-transit means happier Russians, and happier (and faster) Russians means more productity. So opened doors = productivity. Right? Oh, if it was only so simple.
Posted by: Jason at November 24, 2003 05:17 PMThis "more doors, happier customers" deal only applies in a competitive environment. The idea here is that if the customers are unhappy, they go next door to some other store. However, in American monopolized markets, and in Russian centrally-planned economy, there is no store next door. Hence the artificial shortages of checkout registers, bandwidth, metro gates, etc.
Posted by: Bugmaster at November 25, 2003 08:27 AM