It’s been a long day of sightseeing or perhaps attending a conference. You take a shower, jump into your pjs, or perhaps your birthday suit and crawl into your hotel bed, which you previously checked for bed bugs, for a good night’s sleep.
Suddenly, you are awakened by a piercing fire alarm. What do you do? It’s obvious you need to evacuate, but do you take time to get dressed? How about grabbing your belongings, or do you just run down the hallway to the nearest exit? I was faced with this very dilemma while on the 28th floor of the Sheraton in New York City last week, mere days after the anniversary of 9/11. I’m not one to panic, but something about being in this city, during this time was a bit ere. I grabbed my wallet, computer, quickly put-on some clothes and headed out the door and down 28 flights of stairs. Once I arrive in the lobby, several people were already down there, and I noticed that no one else around us brought anything but their room keys, and all were in pajamas or a robe. Fortunately it was only an alarm triggered by someone smoking in a hallway, but it occurred to me that those few minutes we took to gather our things probably wasn’t the best idea had this been an actual fire. Being the proverbial planner, my thought was that if something was wrong, how could I fly back home without a driver’s license, but should that have been the first thing on my mind?
Now that I have had some time to evaluate, my suggestion would be to evacuate as quickly as you can. Material things can always be l replaced. If you’re a Type A personality like me, and feel you can’t leave without certain items, perhaps each evening pack your wallet and any other valuable and leave the ready to go. Another thought is to wear pjs that you would not be embarrassed to be seen in, and ask for a room on a lower floor if feel you might have trouble walking down several flights of stairs. Make sure and become familier with your nearest exits once you get to your room, and stay calm.
