Call me crazy but those MEGA stops ight also present somewhat of a tripping hazard on that sidewalk…..

The photo of the gym doors with chains between the pull handles reminded me of an investigation I helped conduct. The college gym, a large structure with 17 double doors for adequate exiting capacity, was the scene of the State “A” high school championship playoffs. The entire bleacher section was filled to capacity. People were sitting along the court sidelines on the floor. All aisles in the bleachers and leading from the bleachers were full of people sitting or standing. An educated guess was that the facility was about 30% above permitted capacity as posted. A call came into the fire chief’s home that there was a problem at the College gym and he should check it out. I lived 3 houses down and was a member of the fire department so he asked me to accompany him. When we got there, all but two of the 17 double exit doors were chained shut tight. We asked for someone representing the building but no one was present, at least no one with keys to the padlocks. The chief said: “Go out to the station wagon and and bring in a key for these locks.” I did not understand initially until he made the motion that one makes when operating a bolt cutter. The people guarding the doors strongly objected to cutting the locks off to which he replied: “Either these come off now or I simple walk out to the middle of the floor and stop the game and ask everyone to gather their things and leave the building, your choice.” The locks came off. About 2 weeks later, during a more ordinary game, the full fire department responded to a fire in the same gym, in a locker room that quickly caused everyone concern and they fled the building as we got the fire under control. The folks who said the chief overreacted were suitably apologetic.