Technology: Modern Lift Controls
The oldest "modern" lifts were manually controlled by an operator or lift boy who was always present in the car. People waiting on the various floors would press a button that sounded an acoustic signal in the cabin, and a sign would show from which storey the lift had been called. The operator could decide whether to take the people already in the car straight to their destinations or to stop on the way to allow further passengers to board the lift. The precision of levelling the car at the landings also depended on the lift boy's skills.
