Originally Posted by
dliesse
Could say the same thing for trains. In the UK, at least, passengers are expected to open the doors themselves. Do it in the US and you get a hefty fine!
Of course nowadays, opening the doors is simply a matter of pressing a button, similar to calling an elevator. Illuminated means you can open them, no light means they are locked. I think, even in the USA, people could get the hang of that. Of course, climbing a flight of stairs to an airplane really might be too much strain.