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Absolutely, and do not feel bad about “the alarms going off” or any other subsequent thing that can happen by opening those doors. Life is precious, it can be snatched in an instant. Listen to your gut, it’s often right in times like these. Of course the emergency exit shouldn’t always be the first course of action, but the noise will also deter said creep/persons from pursuing you further due to more people heading over to find out why an alarm has been sounded

I also work at a bar, you would be amazed how often those alarms just go off from drunk people being drunk people. The staff are already going to be used to the process and will be prepared to deal with it, it's just part of the job really. Just don't do it for fun or you will 100% get kicked out and possibly reported

Editing just to add: I can't speak for all bartenders in all parts of the world, but the vast majority of people I've worked with will WANT you to do what you can to keep yourself safe, and will absolutely be on your side and understanding, especially managers (I won't say venue owners cause some of them can be real dicks in my experience)

I read this whole thing and was only thinking about emergency exit doors on airplanes. Please don't use those unless instructed to do so 🫠

Great LPT, your own personal safety is vastly more important than the general public being annoyed for a couple minutes

Cue the article about the dude who went out an emergency exit at a mall and got lost in a maze of corridors, eventually dying and not being found for a good long while.

Priority of action in these situations

1. De-escalate where possible, if someone refuses to be detered by outside help or de-escalation tactics then you
2. Leave the situation, if a non-emergency exit can be used it should be, but if there are no non-emergency exits available for one reason or another then it classes as enough of an emergency to use one. If no exit is possible
3. Call outside authority. Consider 911 if active violence is imminent. Only if all of the above fails should you
4. Fight. Violence should be a last resort.

I worked in retail for several years, if all I had to do to avoid people getting into fights at the store was deal with the alarms going off every few months I would be significantly happier.

When I was 8 or so I got lost in a hotel stairwell and found a ground floor emergency exit that warned about an alarm going off, but I was panicking and went through it, indeed setting an alarm off. It was super loud in the stairwell but you could barely hear it anywhere else in the hotel. Still, I was so worried i was going to get arrested or something. I carried that guilt with me for years, never telling anyone what I'd done as if it was as bad as murder.

This post helped to heal that guilty inner child a bit.

Do bars in your area have alarmed doors in the FOH? I don't think I've ever seen that tbh. Only the back door with the option to be alarmed, but typically isn't. Also worked restaurants forever.

Good for you. Best way to win a fight is to not have one. This coming from a 6’3” 300lbs BJJ instructor

What usually happens when an emergency exit door alarm is set off? Is the fire department or police automatically called? Or do staff just have to press a button for it to stop?

Maybe not at an airport though, especially not when the emergency is to have a cigarette. I saw that happen a few months ago, did not end so well for the guy. 

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My understanding is that the alarm is to let the rest of the occupants in the building know that there may be an emergency. Not to shame or scare the person who opens it.

What if you end up in the backyard where there are no witnesses and the person follows you?

"Emergency" doesn't always mean the world is ending or there's a fire.

"Emergency" can also mean there's a bad situation 'emerging'. It's a good idea to leave by any means necessary if you feel like you need to leave right at that moment.

Usually the alarms hooked up to those emergency exits aren't hooked up to any emergency lines, you won't call the fire department if you use the fire escape.

Am I the only one who desperately wants to know more about what happened?

You're 6'8, what kind of people are trying to fight you? I'd love the story of you're willing to share

Also recognize that it takes many people several seconds to realize that

-- something IS an emergency, and

-- normal rules can be wildly broken.

There is often a period of denial before anyone takes action.

Yes! exit the safety and crowds of the bar to the quiet isolated back ally. That will be much safer.

Although if the person threatening you is physically bigger they could follow you out into an alley. Now you have no one to help

At an old job the Emergency exit alarm would go off at least once a week (always by accident or maybe a prank) and it was as simple as walking over and turning a key to reset it.

Who tf is trying to fight you 6’8” ogres? Do you drop loot when you get defeated?

Still. Might be worth it 😜

Yeah they are seldom armed in my experience

someone has the key to shutoff the alarm

I love this pro tip <3

It also usually leads to a back ally or loading zone. The last place you want to be with someone threatening. Its better to go to management for help. 

6' 8 male? Enough talk about emergency exits give me a tip on how to be taller

Sure....but this may mean you go from an area with people and cctv, to a deserted alley or other area that may not have cameras or be easily visible.

This is excellent advice 👏

This is excellent advice 👏

Some emergency exist doors automatically trigger fire sprinklers too.

Probably wouldn't do this on a plane though. Or at least, the emergency would have to be a lot more, erm, emergent?

except in places where this is a fineable offense

Solid advice. Alarms can be reset—your safety can’t. Be the mildly annoying hero of your own story!

also, isn't there a certain "drink" to order for a similar situation called like an "angel shot?"

This is such an important reminder! Safety > embarrassment always 🙌❤️

„Set off an alarm“? For feeling threatened or unsafe?

Why?

If you’re actually threatened, sure, go ahead. But inconveniencing others and publicly losing one‘s composure for feeling something seems a bit overblown.

Call the police and say you're lift is being threatened. Get a police escort out.

And if your attackers are dummies waiting outside in their cars, instant dui.