Saturday, May 12, 2012

The idiocy of "fire doors" and entrances.

In hindsight I've been surprised at how many of my ideas have been passed around the establishment and executed. Sometimes in unwise ways. Sometime in the 1960s or 70s I just commented to a friend about those fire alarms in public buildings like schools. At exits there were those boxes on the wall to pull and set off the building alarm as someone was escaping the building. I said I wonder if someone would always pull that or whether sometimes it wouldn't be.
Voila next thing I know a few years later I see that exit doors are barred, no exit allowed. Only if there is a real fire, because opening the door will automatically set off the alrm.
So now most of the doors designed into buildings can't be used. I even see a hospital in my city where the front entrances are barred, because they have been designate "fire doors". Visitors have to figure out a way to find some obscure side door that can be used.
Now here's da test for ya. Can you see anything wrong with this?
Just because some neurotic government planners couldn't cope with the idea that maybe (don't know if it EVER has happened) an exiting crowd wouldn't pull the alarm. Building traffic has been destroyed. I doubt this could get thru to them. Just fire them all.

By the way I live in Canada. I assume it's this way in the US.
I could probably write a book of anecdotes about how my comments have influenced public policy, sometimes in ways I appreciated, sometimes in the most stupid ways.

I think while I'm here I'll add one more. In 1982 while temporarily living in Toronto I was trying to take some cityscape photographs. I walked into one apartment block to get the view from a hallway window.
Well what do ya think was the result. Now just about all blocks across Canada have their front doors locked.
Why? Nobody in that block noticed me or cared. But I mentionned this to a friend  there who apparently worked in the media. Must have got very indignant about "trespassing", passed it around the establishment.

Apartment blocks with locked entrances and no buzzer intercom systems everywhere. How can you call on someone? Oh you should phone them first. Oh! Then they should wait for ya by the front door. Yeah. There couldn't possibly be any other needs for free entrance. Another test question for ya.