Check into any hotel and you are apt to casually read the instructions on the back of the room door. Usually I do this in all hotel rooms we occupy. There you can find out the check out times and various information important to your hotel stay.
On a recent visit to Nashville, TN I happened to glance at the door instructions and read the phrase about locating the nearest fire door exit. Mentally, I said to myself, "yes, I need to do that." The thought flew through my mind and out the other side. I had many other important and exciting things to do on this trip. Chances are you never even really need to know where the fire door is located, but it is always good to know just in case.
The second night of our stay we were sleeping peacefully in our overcooled room when the smoke alarm went off in our room. That is the understatement of the year. Imagine the worst beeping buzzing noise your alarm clock can make and magnify the noise about 100%, and you'll get an idea of how loud and annoying the alarm was. Of course, that's a good thing when there is a fire. Add to the noise, the strobe light flashing on top of the alarm ought to wake a person from the dead. Tim woke up immediately and went to check the door handle. I'm embarrassed to say that I kept on sleeping. In my dreams I remember thinking, "I wish Tim would turn off his alarm clock. WHY didn't he remember to TURN IT OFF?!" I finally came to with Tim yelling, "Martha, you've got to get up."
The sound of the alarm was kinder in my dream. Fully awake it was difficult to think how anyone could sleep through the noise and light (and no, I had not been drinking.) The flashing light was confusing and led to both of us having headaches and the beginnings of a migrane in short order. . . light, dark, light, dark. . . until my eyes feel like they were going to explode. The whole effect was like waking up into a dream, very bad nightmare.
Now for the crucial test, I asked myself, "Where exactly are those stairs?" Now I really wanted to know. A panicky feeling set in as we realized we were in a strange hotel, during what we hoped was a fire drill, at three o'clock in the morning, and we had no idea how to get down from the fourth floor. We opened the door to look out. WHEW! No visible smoke. Thank heavens the fire door was located directly across from our room. We lucked out. Before taking the stairs, we met another guest who said the fire alarm was a false one. Remembering the 9/11 days when so many people stayed put in an unstable building, we ran down the fire stairway to check at the desk. Some drunk hockey player on the 7th floor had pulled the alarm (probably on a dare). Unfortunately, for him he was caught on video and the police would be waking him up out of a sound sleep the next morning. Retribution is sweet.
What was my most embarrassing moment? It is difficult to admit that I stopped to go to the bathroom before we left the room. What a boneheaded thing to do. Well almost as boneheaded as not knowing where the fire exit was located. Believe you me, I won't let that happen again.
