My new apartment building in Chicago has a trash chute door that opens inward

I dropped a full bag down the chute last week and the door swung back and hit me right in the face. It's a solid metal door, so that was a fun surprise. I'm out twenty bucks for the glasses I was wearing that got bent. Who designs a door on a trash room to swing into the tiny space where you're standing? Anyone else run into this kind of backwards thinking?

3 comments

3 Comments

theabennett1mo agoProlific Poster

Ugh, that's just hostile architecture for regular people.

roberts.diana1mo ago

Hostile" is a strong word for keeping public spaces clean and safe.

nathanking19d ago

Wait, is this just another example of that thing where nobody thinks about how real people actually use stuff? I've been noticing this kind of backwards design everywhere, not just in trash chutes. Like, I've seen public benches with armrests in the middle so nobody can lie down, and those stupid blue lights in bathrooms to stop people from shooting up, but they never think about the average person just trying to get through their day without getting smacked in the face. Its like someone made this chute door a certain way because it looks neat or saves money, and they totally forgot an actual human has to push it open while holding a stinky trash bag. That whole hostile architecture trend is real, but it isnt just about keeping out homeless folks - it is about making everything slightly worse for everyone to save a buck or make maintenance easier. My buddy in New York has this same deal with his mail slot, door swings right into his tiny hallway, and he's always complaining about it. So yeah, you are not alone, this kind of nonsense is everywhere in apartment buildings and it makes you wonder who actually signs off on these ideas.