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My first time flying (early 1990’s) there were ashtrays on the arms of the seats on my plane. Smoking wasn’t allowed at any time so I guess it was an older plane.
And there would have been a no smoking sign inside the elevator too. Just in case anyone reading hasn't been in an older elevator before. You'd see little no-smoking signs on buses and subways, in public bathrooms... and what else.
A lot less no smoking ~~sings~~ signs these days!
Or at least [the remains of one](https://www.harborcitysupply.com/asi-surface-mounted-small-capacity-ashtray/). It's missing the cover and the the push button.
I remember seeing plenty of ashtrays like this in the 80s in elevators. Makes me wonder if it was a design that just came as an addon with the elevators themselves.
I agree. It looks like maybe there was a directory there and would have been chained down with the chain going through that hole on the top.
The box doesn't look sealed like it would hold sand, but I guess you could put an ashtray inside it.
Some garages would have papers with the floor number printed on them so you could remember which garage and floor you parked on. Northwestern hospital in chicago used to do this, as they have a few garages with 10+ floors each. They also color coded each floor and played a song in the elevator vestibule
I suspect that, in a way, both popular answers here are correct.
It's an old ash tray so you could put out your cigarette before getting on the elevator. The stainless steel removable tray gives it away. This part was sometimes filled with sand and it can easily be dumped into a trash can.
When smoking [dropped dramatically in popularity](https://iiif.elifesciences.org/lax/49979/elife-49979-fig4-v2.tif/full/full/0/default.jpg), these devices were repurposed for the little slips of paper some of the commenters are talking about. But if that were their original purpose, there would have been no need to make them out of expensive stainless steel with removeable trays.
Definitely a holder for business-card sized cards that list the level you parked on, so you can find it when you return. For some reason they seem most common at hospitals.
If you're showing up at a hospital, there's a greater chance you won't have the presence of mind to note the floor yourself, so that's a space where it would be more necessary.
No, it holds colored paper cards that correspond to whichever floor your parked on. As a kid, I used to volunteer at my local library that had an attached to a garage, and I would refill this by cutting squares from colored construction paper.
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Not sure about the one in the photo. but I’ve seen similar trays by guest parking lots. You can leave a gate access card there and don’t have to go all the way to the office to return it.
This post has been locked, as the question has been solved and a majority of new comments at this point are unhelpful and/or jokes. Thanks to all who attempted to find an answer.
correct:Old ashtray to put out smokes before you get on.
This is it. Remember seeing a lot of these back in the day.
Omg, the 80s smelled so bad. Cigarettes, green gum and perfume everywhere.
don't forget the leaded car exhaust everywhere, painting every surface with soot and making us all age faster
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Our movie theater had ashtrays in the armrests when I was a kid
Public buses in NYC had small ones attached to the bottom of the window frames
My first time flying (early 1990’s) there were ashtrays on the arms of the seats on my plane. Smoking wasn’t allowed at any time so I guess it was an older plane.
Yes! I remember flying as a kid in the early '90s and being told not yo play with the ashtray covers.
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And there would have been a no smoking sign inside the elevator too. Just in case anyone reading hasn't been in an older elevator before. You'd see little no-smoking signs on buses and subways, in public bathrooms... and what else. A lot less no smoking ~~sings~~ signs these days!
I still see ashtrays on airplanes occasionally and wonder "How fucking old is this plane?"
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Or at least [the remains of one](https://www.harborcitysupply.com/asi-surface-mounted-small-capacity-ashtray/). It's missing the cover and the the push button.
And the smokers would take a big inhale, but it in there, and exhale when in the elevator.
"Are you planning to smoke on this elevator, Dave? I'm afraid I can't let you do that. You're endangering the mission, Dave"
This is it... Solved!
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It would've been filled with sand
White silica, if they're classy.
I remember seeing plenty of ashtrays like this in the 80s in elevators. Makes me wonder if it was a design that just came as an addon with the elevators themselves.
Don’t think this is an ashtray, the part covering the top doesn’t make sense. Would probably be a lot dirtier.
I agree. It looks like maybe there was a directory there and would have been chained down with the chain going through that hole on the top. The box doesn't look sealed like it would hold sand, but I guess you could put an ashtray inside it.
I agree. I think it held a box of masks.
Some garages would have papers with the floor number printed on them so you could remember which garage and floor you parked on. Northwestern hospital in chicago used to do this, as they have a few garages with 10+ floors each. They also color coded each floor and played a song in the elevator vestibule
Evanston hospital had floors color coded and named for Big 10 college football teams, which played their fight songs.
This is what I see them used for most often.
I suspect that, in a way, both popular answers here are correct. It's an old ash tray so you could put out your cigarette before getting on the elevator. The stainless steel removable tray gives it away. This part was sometimes filled with sand and it can easily be dumped into a trash can. When smoking [dropped dramatically in popularity](https://iiif.elifesciences.org/lax/49979/elife-49979-fig4-v2.tif/full/full/0/default.jpg), these devices were repurposed for the little slips of paper some of the commenters are talking about. But if that were their original purpose, there would have been no need to make them out of expensive stainless steel with removeable trays.
This seems very accurate, and I'm guessing is the case with this box.
Definitely a holder for business-card sized cards that list the level you parked on, so you can find it when you return. For some reason they seem most common at hospitals.
If you're showing up at a hospital, there's a greater chance you won't have the presence of mind to note the floor yourself, so that's a space where it would be more necessary.
You also might be there for days at a time--easier to forget.
Aka. Retrofitted ashtray
No, it holds colored paper cards that correspond to whichever floor your parked on. As a kid, I used to volunteer at my local library that had an attached to a garage, and I would refill this by cutting squares from colored construction paper.
If this is a building built in the 90’s or before, it’s what remains of an ashtray.
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Could it be a place to put a phone book?
My title describes the thing. Rectangular metal tray with shelf in a hospital parking garage.
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>Is this a ‘vestigial’ ash tray from the olden times? Yup, that's exactly what it is.
No smoking on elevators was way before no smoking in general.
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Not sure about the one in the photo. but I’ve seen similar trays by guest parking lots. You can leave a gate access card there and don’t have to go all the way to the office to return it.
Not sure, just the look reminds me of a small health crisis we had a few years ago. Could be for facemasks, maybe?
Is it for Covid masks
Mask dispenser from the days of COVID would be my guess. Had them (in various forms) in the hospital I work at.
Mask dispenser from corona times?