The Picard ManeuverYes, but
wallybeavisAs everyone has already said, use the paper towels. Some doors are also equiped with a small piece of metal at the base of the door which you step on, and pull with your shoe
That foot thing is an awful design IMO. Rather than a step-on to pull, it should be a design that allows you to flex your foot up and hook it under something to pull. The step-on kind necessarily requires you to put weight on it, letting off pressure on your other foot thereby causing instability. This can be difficult to manage for other people or on doors requiring a heavier pull force to open. The hook under kind would stabilize the person trying to open the door.
Handicapped people can press down, but not lift up.
Dharma Curious (he/him)Neither option is good, tbh. Hook under allows better grip for those capable, but doesn’t allow for some disabled people. Step on increases the likelihood of usability but also increases the likelihood of becoming unbalanced and falling.
Both options ignore the possibility of broken toes when someone on the outside attempts to push the door in at the moment you’ve got your foot planted on it or hooked under it.
We live in an era where automatic doors and push buttons to open them are a well established thing. Do that instead.
Barring that, the hallway with two turns like Walmart uses is an option. Just make sure they’re wide enough for the widest wheelchairs and power chairs, and the turns are too tight.
I don’t disagree, I still use a paper towel. When it was first installed they forgot to modify the mechanism that closes the door on one of the bathrooms. The tension was set still set to prevent someone from being smashed in the face (or the door from slamming shut), but that meant you needed apply a fair amount of force to open the door. They’ve since adjusted it and now it’s pretty easy to open with just one foot
Counter argument: having to hook your foot runs the risk of damaging the tops of your shoes (often softer material) or your foot if you’re wearing sandals. You can be sure that the bottoms of everyone’s shoes are designed for at least minimal impact protection.
I like the foot step and use them when I can, but it helps to reinforce that the paper towel with a well-placed trash can is the best method imo.