MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why do some of the numbers on elevator buttons have a star next to them?

You may have noticed this before when you’re in an elevator. The star that’s next to the number of the floor. I always thought it meant “ground floor” but that’s not the case.

The star represents which floor has the closest outside exit of the building. That’s why sometimes it’s on the first floor, sometimes ground floor, and sometimes some other floor to indicate where the street is.

Fun trivia if you’re ever stuck in an elevator or making small talk with a stranger. You can drop that one on them.

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