Elevator etiquette and the prisoner’s dilemma
The prisoner’s dilemma is a game theory problem that talks about the benefit of one party taking advantage of another co-operating party. Assume Alice and Bob are both arrested, but the evidence is sketchy. They’re offered a chance to betray each other in exchange for their own freedom.
| Bob stays silent | Bob betrays Alice | |
|---|---|---|
| Alice stays silent | Both serve 6 months | Alice gets 10 years Bob goes free |
| Alice betrays Bob | Alice goes free Bob gets 10 years | Both serve 5 years |
It might seem like an esoteric problem at first, but the residents of my apartment live with this on a daily basis. There are two sets of elevators here with independent buttons. When people are in a rush, they press both buttons in an attempt to get an elevator sooner at the cost of someone else’s schedule.
I get that there’s no real retaliation besides harsh glares, but you’d think people would be a little more considerate. When I hear someone complain about the elevators being slow right after having noticed them press two buttons, I die a little inside.