Hotel Evacuation that I'm in right now!

[Hugh R]

Ah crap, as I'm typing the hotel I'm in in Boston just did an emergency evacuation notice. They're going to announce in a minute which floors have to evacuate while they investigate. I just saw the fire trucks roll up. I've got a tech scout at 7 AM. I'll let you know if they order me out.

[legion]

Better hide your castor beans, Hugh.

[Hugh R]

Ok, they called it a false alarm, return to your regularly scheduled program.

[MRM]

A couple of years ago I was speaking at a conference held at a hotel conference center when a person walked in and announced that building management was ordering everyone out immediately, of course in an orderly manner. We were ordered out into the parking lot where it was cold. Most of us didn't bring out coats. The firemen and police show up, lights blazing. A while later we finally find out it was a bomb scare. An hour or so later they gave us an all clear and we went back in and I finished my presentation.

One of our guys talked to the fireman in charge and asked what was going on. Some irate ex phoned in a threat and said he had hidden a bomb in the hotel. What did they do? The firemen walked through the common areas, looked in the trash cans, and knocked on the doors to check who was in. What if no one answered the door? We just moved on to the next room. What if the bomb was planted in a room he rented and he just didn't open the door? We'd miss it. We don't open doors unless someone answers the knock. Don't you think you might miss something? No, we knew it was a flase alarm. They always are.