You know how you hit the ‘door close’ button and it seems to do nothing? You’re right…it does nothing.
Those buttons USED to work. But after the Americans With Disabilities Act in 1990, the elevator manufacturers had to disable them to make sure there was enough time for someone in a wheelchair or with a cane to safely make it into an elevator.
So why do they still put them in there? There are two reasons. One, tradition, And two, people still really like pressing them, because it gives us a sense of control.