Russell Williams
Well-Known Member
Daily Hotel Activism
Both dimensions and NAAFA are considering conventions this summer. That got me to remembering two events in the 80s.
What I go to hotels I often inspect the fire exits. In one hotel where there was a gathering of fat people I was on the 10th floor and went to check out the fire exit. When I opened up the door to the fire exit there was a sign directing people on that floor to exit onto the roof of the building. I followed the steps up two floors and found that the last 8 feet to the trap door leading to the roof of the building consisted of a ladder which was built from steel rungs cemented into the wall of the building. This ladder led to the trap door which was locked with a padlock.
I then went down to the front desk and inquired about the situation. It was explained to me that there was an employee who had a key to the trap door and, in the event of a fire, his job was to climb the 12 floors of steps to the roof fire exit and then unlock the padlock so that people could exit onto the roof. This was in the days before cell phones so I never did wind up calling the fire marshal.
Another time I was rooming with a 500 pound woman who, because of an automobile accident, had trouble walking. The hotel fire alarm went off and people started evacuating the building. I told the woman that she could never successfully go down eight flights of steps and that the thing to do was stay in the room and put wet towels against the door. She insisted that she could walk down eight flights of steps and proceeded to start out doing so. She got down about three floors and could go no further. The situation now was that other people trying to exit the building from higher floors were confronted by this 500 pound woman sitting on the steps of the fire exit. This was not a good situation for anyone involved.
Fortunately it was not a fire, the all clear was sounded, and my 500 pound friend went through the nearest fire escape door, walked down the hallway, and took an elevator back to her room.
Lessons to be learned: if you are organizing a convention for fat people check out the fire exits.
If you have limited mobility figure out how you will get out of the building in case of a fire.
Yours truly,
Russell Williams
Both dimensions and NAAFA are considering conventions this summer. That got me to remembering two events in the 80s.
What I go to hotels I often inspect the fire exits. In one hotel where there was a gathering of fat people I was on the 10th floor and went to check out the fire exit. When I opened up the door to the fire exit there was a sign directing people on that floor to exit onto the roof of the building. I followed the steps up two floors and found that the last 8 feet to the trap door leading to the roof of the building consisted of a ladder which was built from steel rungs cemented into the wall of the building. This ladder led to the trap door which was locked with a padlock.
I then went down to the front desk and inquired about the situation. It was explained to me that there was an employee who had a key to the trap door and, in the event of a fire, his job was to climb the 12 floors of steps to the roof fire exit and then unlock the padlock so that people could exit onto the roof. This was in the days before cell phones so I never did wind up calling the fire marshal.
Another time I was rooming with a 500 pound woman who, because of an automobile accident, had trouble walking. The hotel fire alarm went off and people started evacuating the building. I told the woman that she could never successfully go down eight flights of steps and that the thing to do was stay in the room and put wet towels against the door. She insisted that she could walk down eight flights of steps and proceeded to start out doing so. She got down about three floors and could go no further. The situation now was that other people trying to exit the building from higher floors were confronted by this 500 pound woman sitting on the steps of the fire exit. This was not a good situation for anyone involved.
Fortunately it was not a fire, the all clear was sounded, and my 500 pound friend went through the nearest fire escape door, walked down the hallway, and took an elevator back to her room.
Lessons to be learned: if you are organizing a convention for fat people check out the fire exits.
If you have limited mobility figure out how you will get out of the building in case of a fire.
Yours truly,
Russell Williams
