# What are those holes in elevator doors? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 18, 2005, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-those-holes-in-elevator-doors/317610 "2005-08-18T17:30:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mullinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@Mullinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mullinator)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-those-holes-in-elevator-doors/317610/1 "2005-08-18T17:30:29Z")
In my building at work, we have a bank of elevators with 6 different elevators. On only one of them is there a dime sized hole in the door. I assume it’s so they can send in highly venomous spiders to kill me quickly instead of slowly dying from hunger when the elevator stalls. But, that might be a bit too sadistic. So, what’s the real reason? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-those-holes-in-elevator-doors/317610/2 "2005-08-18T17:38:19Z")
I believe these are keyholes. I forget which movie, but I saw one where the hero opened the elevator doors by inserting a metal rod into the hole. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-those-holes-in-elevator-doors/317610/3 "2005-08-18T17:57:41Z")
No - your first guess is correct. They are there to allow the owners of the building to send in vermin of various types to kill the passengers. Sometimes they do, as you suggested, use venomous spiders. But there was a case in Venezuala in which they used a type of fire ant. And in places that have no indigenous insects or arachnids that are poisonous, they insert a small tube that carries poisonous gas. In underdeveloped nations, where the buildings are seldom two stories tall, the elevator doors don’t have those holes. The doors just close and stay that way. In the southern hemisphere, where elevators move only down and not up, there are no such holes, either. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-those-holes-in-elevator-doors/317610/4 "2005-08-18T18:03:10Z")
> [@Mullinator](#): > > I assume it’s so they can send in highly venomous spiders to kill me quickly instead of slowly dying from hunger when the elevator stalls. But, that might be a bit too sadistic. Having seen Kubrick’s _The Shining_, I theorize that these are overflow holes for the blood. ---
**Author:** ![audiobottle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@audiobottle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audiobottle)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-those-holes-in-elevator-doors/317610/5 "2005-08-18T18:05:07Z")
Holy crap, this is a fantastic question! I’m serious! I was just riding the elevator today and wondering what that little hole is for. If it’s a key, then I wonder why your elevators don’t all have the hole. I’m not sure if all my elevators do. I’ll have to check it out on the way down today. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-those-holes-in-elevator-doors/317610/6 "2005-08-18T18:06:11Z")
I’ll second the keyhole idea. Where I used to work there was a hole and next to the elevator was a key “hidden” in a small opaque glass case next to the elevator. Look around the door toward the top and see if you can see such a small box. ---
**Author:** ![Mooch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mooch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mooch)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-those-holes-in-elevator-doors/317610/7 "2005-08-18T18:13:47Z")
That hole is for an elevator key. [Here](http://www.fox-intl.com/searchresult.asp?id=1742) is a good picture of the types of keys that can be used depending on the type of elevator. They are used mostly when the elevator doors will not open automatically or for when you need to look/get in to the shaft under or above the car. Spiders normally come out when the open/close door button is pressed. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-those-holes-in-elevator-doors/317610/8 "2005-08-18T18:15:01Z")
It is definately the keyhole. At the location I work, I have a key in my desk drawer for the elevator… just in case. I’ve used it several times. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-those-holes-in-elevator-doors/317610/9 "2005-08-18T19:57:32Z")
> [@CC](#): > > In the southern hemisphere, where elevators move only down and not up, there are no such holes, either. Stop messing about on the web; Calvin is burning the house down again.