Friday, August 24, 2007

Return of the Fire Drill

This was originally posted two years ago. Why am I reposting it? Because it is happening again at this very moment. Please, allow me to share my pain.

Spine-chilling ear-piercing siren, Spine-chilling ear-piercing siren, Spine-chilling ear-piercing siren

"ATTENTION, ATTENTION, ATTENTION, AN EMERGENCY HAS BEEN REPORTED, ALL OCCUPANTS WALK TO THE NEAREST STAIRWAY EXIT AND WALK DOWN TO YOUR ASSIGNED RE-ENTRY FLOOR OR MAIN LOBBY.
DO NOT USE THE ELEVATORS.
WALK TO THE NEAREST STAIRWAY.
DO NOT USE THE ELEVATORS.
WALK TO THE NEAREST STAIRWAY.
"

Spine-chilling ear-piercing siren, Spine-chilling ear-piercing siren, Spine-chilling ear-piercing siren

repeat chorus

This has been going on for the last half an hour, piped in through the sound system at a decibel level equivalent to an air raid warning. It would be an excellent torture device for the criminally insane. I know this is true as I am on the verge of a homicidal rampage.

And even though it was announced 112 times that this was just a drill and not to leave your apartment, I guarantee several of mom's neighbors are downstairs asking where the fire is. No doubt they took the elevator.

Originally posted: June 20th, 2005


30 comments:

Brian said...

Back in high school, whenever there were emergency situations, our school board had designated "special codes" to announce so that the teachers knew what was going on. My favorite was "We have a Code Red Rover...Repeat a Code Red Rover." Sounds like recess right? It was actually when the drug dogs were searching the school and all the druggies and potheads would be like..."I need to use the restroom. I need to see the nurse. I'm pretty sure I'm internally bleeding." It was always sort of funny to watch everyone squirm in their desks.

Anonymous said...

I am rolling, so glad to have been able to rescue you for a dino!!

Damien said...

Ahhh the bells the bells, sounds like someones been putting the CIA torture book to good use, no doubt a man in a dark suit was in the stair well taking notes!

jayeofmanyhats said...

Ah crap you were talking about what happened to you. I read the siren message and left three times before I came back in an read the rest of your post. (:{=

Scarlet Hip said...

Major - exactly.

Brian - now that is classic!

Mari - I knew you would appreciate this!

Bert - it was a perfect day. WAWA coffee in the morning, Dino's sub for lunch, and Robert's wings for dinner. I'm so very happy.

Damien - I think it was a republican plot to flush out all the democrats.

Lemorse - did you take the elevator?

Anonymous said...

That used to happen at highschool all the time. Lucky we never had a real fire or we might have had a boy who cried wolf situation.

Modigliani said...

WAWA!!! ... Haha!
I remember those!

Question is this: They really have good coffee???

jayeofmanyhats said...

No I waited for about ten minutes for the elevator then I realized I live on the ground floor. Oh BTW check out my top 100 movie quotes on my blog now.

Ubermilf said...

That happened to me when I was taking a shower at the Y. Luckily, a kind soul told me, "They're just testing the alarm!" Of course, she could have been an arsonist/murderess making sure I stayed put. But she wasn't.

Prométhiûs said...

Ok lift problem..heehe got stuck well for about 15 mins or so..midway in a shopping plaza with a old lady and three
girls..man and it was getting too embarrsing cause everyone could see us..

Anonymous said...

At least they didn't play Achy Breaky Heart at you like the FBI did a Waco. Now that's what I call psy-ops!

Anonymous said...

I live through the hell of sirens everyday. I live two doors down from a firestation.

Scarlet Hip said...

Anthony - have you written a new blog yet?

Mo - I'm enjoying a 24 oz wawa coffee as I write this. It is great coffee and I'm very happy.

lemorse - I'll be over to check out your blog as soon as I'm through here.

Uber - I think she was gay.

Promethius - embarassing? What exactly were you doing with the old lady and the three girls in the lift?

Whiteboy - that is so wrong!! Is that true? I can't think of a song that would be worse...hey...that could be your next blog! Songs that could drive you to homicide!

Ruben - Now that I wouldn't mind...cause firemen are hot. Pardon the pun.

Anonymous said...

I like it - the list is endless. Anything Barney sings would probably do the trick.

And yes the FBI really did do that. I saw an amazing documentary about 5 years ago which had a huge amount of footage from the siege. Scary, no?

Anonymous said...

Nah. No post yet.

Scarlet Hip said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Scarlet Hip said...

Rats, I messed up and deleted my own comment. Dumbass.

I know what you are doing Anthony. You are not writing any posts just so you can see how many comments you can get on your tartar sauce post. It's your evil plot!!! Well I refuse to comment anymore on your tartar sauce post! I will not be your enabler!!! So there!

Someday you will thank me.

Loz said...

way to cut him off brooke!

Lester T. said...

pardon my unfailing male logic & severely constricted anus, but you mentioned that this would be a good torture device for the criminally insane and in the next sentence you say that you can attest to this because you are "on the verge of a homicidal rampage." i think i'd rather not have the criminally insane incited into violent fury. see what happened in waco? macarena would definitely do it for me.

Anonymous said...

That's the same fire alarm that my dorms in the past three years have had. Except that it's apparently a lot louder in your place...

Sizzle said...

it's happening AGAIN? what are the odds.

they took the elevator- heh, that's funny.

Bill said...

I lived in an apartment once where this happened with great regularity. So much so that when the alarm went off everyone stayed in their apartments, defeating the whole point. (Boy who cried wolf effect.)

Most interesting to me was how the sound was so lound it was tactile, as if a jackhammer were being used on you in a buggering fashion. Now that's loud!

Bill said...

"Lound"?

matty said...

I'm sorry. How annoying, but you gave me a chuckle.

You know, I used to manage a large office in the John Hancock Tower in Boston -- and that would sometimes happen. ...the elevators would just shut down.

And you're sitting on the 48th floor thinking: "should I just down the stairs or believe that it is a drill?"

I always told the office to stay put, but I almost walked out and down a couple of times.

However, even when I was in great shape -- walking down 48 flights was never much fun.

I'm glad you only had a drill and I'm glad the ladies used the elevator1

Ubermilf said...

do I have to comment now if I commented two years ago?

Toby said...

I don't get around much, I'm changing you up now. Big SMOOCH. Hey! I hate "hey." I've only been to Jersey one time, way back in 1985 at Christmas.

Toby said...

Okay, I still didn't read your post for the second time x 2. But yeah. school will start on the 5th and we have all the fire drills, tornado drills and a terrorist plane crash into the building drill. If a plane hits here, they are way off target, Chicago is 75 miles south.

Thank you Brook, you're hot. I love being educated.

yournamehere said...

"There was only one victim of the fire, a woman who ignored alarms to continue work on her blog."

Blastin said...

I used to love fire drills when I hadn't done my homework.

Come to the city so you can advise the eventual teacher.

Faut said...

Acutally,My commend but real(Non-fiction),one day bells goes weieweieweiew,all class ran quickly to the parade square,Our principal says "this is a first time of a fire drills,everybody don't know when there is a real fire drills."than,everybody goes back to its own class,this is very scary.