6 ms·

I haven't been in a single US escape room where you couldn't just... walk out. Most creators in the US are aware of this, and don't take the "Escape" part too s

I haven't been in a single US escape room where you couldn't just... walk out. Most creators in the US are aware of this, and don't take the "Escape" part too seriously. And of course, in the US, this is heavily enforced.

the_mitsuhiko 7y ago
> And of course, in the US, this is heavily enforced. Is it? How does this work? Are there regular checks and do escape rooms need to register or how are they discovered?
- gkoberger 7y ago
  They inspect you when you get a permit. You can't just build a wall or a door; you need to submit plans. The fire marshal is involved and everything.
  - gambiting 7y ago
    So....literally the same as in Poland then. That's heavy enforcement?
    - deleted 7y ago
      [deleted]
    - mgbmtl 7y ago
      As a Canadian, I'm always somewhat amused how fire code is strictly enforced at events in the US. I've often seen inspections during conferences. US and UK have a much stronger fire code safety culture than elsewhere (although, as most things in the US, it can vary greatly between the big cities and more rural areas, including suburbs or sprawled cities like SF).
      - seanmcdirmid 7y ago
        SF isn’t really a sprawled city by American standards. The cities outside of SF are sprawled (like San Jose) but SF is pretty compact in comparison. Good examples of sprawled cities include LA and Houston.
    - jccooper 7y ago
      I don’t know anything about Europe, but most escape room owners in the US can report multiple visits by the Fire Marshall. (I just got back from the national conference and talked to a lot of them.) It varies by municipality, but most places in the US pay more attention to escape rooms than the average business. They’re probably more safe than the office suite next door to which nobody pays attention.
  - throwawaywalls 7y ago
    (Throwaway, for obvious reasons.) Yes, you can just build a wall or a door, even in the USA. I've done it. It may not be according to code, but that's the very issue here: enforcement. Until someone dies, how do they know? Surprise inspections are exceptionally rare. There's just way too many buildings. I've even had modifications "inspected" by the fire department, multiple times. I put that in quotes because I've only ever seen them count the number of automatic sprinklers in the building (which did not change), or look to see if we had fire extinguisher signs, and a fire extinguisher under each one. I've even seen the FD (in a modern American city) respond to and put out an actual fire, and not care that the building did not match the permit plans. I'm curious what your experience is, as there is no aspect of this which I would describe as "heavily enforced".
    - dreamcompiler 7y ago
      Maybe it depends on the city. In the towns I've lived in, it's been pretty strict. But then again I was a firefighter, so if I see a code violation I'll call the fire marshal. I expect other firefighters would do the same, off duty or not.
      - FDSGSG 7y ago
        Might this not deter someone violating the code from contacting the fire department in a timely manner in an emergency?
    - brainpool 7y ago
      That’s how it is. When there is a fire however and people get suffocated because of those modifications you did or just because it was a fire. Then you are in for some serious trouble if the changes can be traced back to you. Some jail time possibly, but the litigation from victims and insurance companies is what really is gonna do you in. Possibly also the guilt. Don’t do it. Those plans and codes are there for a reason.
      - the_mitsuhiko 7y ago
        All of that other than punitive damages also applies in Poland. Yet until the Fire happened plenty of places locked the doors.
- CydeWeys 7y ago
  It's standard fire code rules. All doors between occupied rooms and exits must be unlocked during business hours. Exit doors must have emergency releases that can open them from the inside. You must have your plans approved for these and other issues before construction can begin.
  - wott 7y ago
    > You must have your plans approved Oh, plans. Right, and then half of the shops put a (real steel) chain and padlock (or a large piece of furniture) on the emergency exit, or they use the exit stairway as storage. But indeed on the plans there is an emergency exit anyone can open if needed.
    - dreamcompiler 7y ago
      Not in the US they don't. Emergency exits frequently have alarms but locking those doors is a good way to get your business shut down. (Yes violations do happen, but those businesses get fined and shut down pretty quickly.)
      - reaperducer 7y ago
        Emergency exits frequently have alarms but locking those doors is a good way to get your business shut down. Unless you are the government. Then you can lock your fire exits and let your fellow bureaucrats die. It's the Chicago way. https://www.nist.gov/document/nistsp-1021pdf https://www.nist.gov/document/nistsp-1021pdf
    - marcinzm 7y ago
      In most places the fire department will do unannounced inspections periodically and in case of a complaint.
  - the_mitsuhiko 7y ago
    But that was the case in Poland too by law. The owner locked the door anyways.
- jld 7y ago
  The fire department can do surprise inspections of businesses to insure they are complying with fire codes. If it’s unsafe, they can close the business until the issues has been resolved. I wouldn’t call it heavy enforcement, and it’s not perfect. People die in commercial fires not too infrequently in the US. https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/ct-abn-arcada-closed-st-0322-story.html https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/ct... https://cbs4indy.com/2019/04/29/messy-aisles-causes-speedway-fire-dept-to-close-dollar-tree/ https://cbs4indy.com/2019/04/29/messy-aisles-causes-speedway...
  - jjeaff 7y ago
    It's also not a "U.S." thing since fire codes and enforcement are usually a county by county basis and not inspected or enforced on a federal level. Though most all urban areas have enforcement, many smaller areas do not.
- nullwasamistake 7y ago
  They call it fire code inspections. Most commercial places are inspected at least once a year. You can't have an emergency exit that locks, it must always be openable from the inside. You get huge fines for an emergency exit that is blocked in any way, and the fire inspectors will shut down your business until it is fixed. The system isn't perfect but it works most of the time, fire deaths in the US are quite rare.
  - derefr 7y ago
    Question: how do prisons handle fires under these regulations?
    - jccooper 7y ago
      There are specific rules for prisons (as there are for theme parks and haunted houses.) They must have fire detection and a way to unlock if it is detected, and usually there must be someone monitoring the system whenever occupied and ready to enact emergency procedures.
      - nullwasamistake 7y ago
        Adding to that, there's special regulations for almost anything. Hotels, work sites, warehouses. The national fire code is quite a tome, and usually local rules are added on top
- merpnderp 7y ago
  If you walk out of someplace and think it is unsafe and call the fire department, I can’t imagine a single location in the US that wouldn’t be “surprise” inspected the very next day.
untog 7y ago
It's not just that. There's a reason why fire escapes are usually extra exits on top of the usual ones (even if they're only through a window) and in NYC at least a bunch have been shut down because they closed off access to those fire escapes.
ApolloFortyNine 7y ago
I was in one where we were handcuffed all the the same wire. We had to sign a waiver, and the way the waiver was phrased mentioned there would be two people watching the cameras. I'm not sure if this was enough to make it legal, but it was my favorite escape room so far. It made it more like you were escaping. The handcuff puzzle only took about 10 minutes and required everyone to actually work together (no quarterbacking).
- Kuraj 7y ago
  Wrocław?
michaelbuckbee 7y ago
I've been to three different ones (NY, and two in Virginia) and the door has always been locked. The caveat being that the room/situation is closely monitored (camera + intercom).

the_mitsuhiko 7y ago

> And of course, in the US, this is heavily enforced. Is it? How does this work? Are there regular checks and do escape rooms need to register or how are they discovered?

gkoberger 7y ago
They inspect you when you get a permit. You can't just build a wall or a door; you need to submit plans. The fire marshal is involved and everything.
- gambiting 7y ago
  So....literally the same as in Poland then. That's heavy enforcement?
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
  - mgbmtl 7y ago
    As a Canadian, I'm always somewhat amused how fire code is strictly enforced at events in the US. I've often seen inspections during conferences. US and UK have a much stronger fire code safety culture than elsewhere (although, as most things in the US, it can vary greatly between the big cities and more rural areas, including suburbs or sprawled cities like SF).
    - seanmcdirmid 7y ago
      SF isn’t really a sprawled city by American standards. The cities outside of SF are sprawled (like San Jose) but SF is pretty compact in comparison. Good examples of sprawled cities include LA and Houston.
  - jccooper 7y ago
    I don’t know anything about Europe, but most escape room owners in the US can report multiple visits by the Fire Marshall. (I just got back from the national conference and talked to a lot of them.) It varies by municipality, but most places in the US pay more attention to escape rooms than the average business. They’re probably more safe than the office suite next door to which nobody pays attention.
- throwawaywalls 7y ago
  (Throwaway, for obvious reasons.) Yes, you can just build a wall or a door, even in the USA. I've done it. It may not be according to code, but that's the very issue here: enforcement. Until someone dies, how do they know? Surprise inspections are exceptionally rare. There's just way too many buildings. I've even had modifications "inspected" by the fire department, multiple times. I put that in quotes because I've only ever seen them count the number of automatic sprinklers in the building (which did not change), or look to see if we had fire extinguisher signs, and a fire extinguisher under each one. I've even seen the FD (in a modern American city) respond to and put out an actual fire, and not care that the building did not match the permit plans. I'm curious what your experience is, as there is no aspect of this which I would describe as "heavily enforced".
  - dreamcompiler 7y ago
    Maybe it depends on the city. In the towns I've lived in, it's been pretty strict. But then again I was a firefighter, so if I see a code violation I'll call the fire marshal. I expect other firefighters would do the same, off duty or not.
    - FDSGSG 7y ago
      Might this not deter someone violating the code from contacting the fire department in a timely manner in an emergency?
  - brainpool 7y ago
    That’s how it is. When there is a fire however and people get suffocated because of those modifications you did or just because it was a fire. Then you are in for some serious trouble if the changes can be traced back to you. Some jail time possibly, but the litigation from victims and insurance companies is what really is gonna do you in. Possibly also the guilt. Don’t do it. Those plans and codes are there for a reason.
    - the_mitsuhiko 7y ago
      All of that other than punitive damages also applies in Poland. Yet until the Fire happened plenty of places locked the doors.
CydeWeys 7y ago
It's standard fire code rules. All doors between occupied rooms and exits must be unlocked during business hours. Exit doors must have emergency releases that can open them from the inside. You must have your plans approved for these and other issues before construction can begin.
- wott 7y ago
  > You must have your plans approved Oh, plans. Right, and then half of the shops put a (real steel) chain and padlock (or a large piece of furniture) on the emergency exit, or they use the exit stairway as storage. But indeed on the plans there is an emergency exit anyone can open if needed.
  - dreamcompiler 7y ago
    Not in the US they don't. Emergency exits frequently have alarms but locking those doors is a good way to get your business shut down. (Yes violations do happen, but those businesses get fined and shut down pretty quickly.)
    - reaperducer 7y ago
      Emergency exits frequently have alarms but locking those doors is a good way to get your business shut down. Unless you are the government. Then you can lock your fire exits and let your fellow bureaucrats die. It's the Chicago way. https://www.nist.gov/document/nistsp-1021pdf https://www.nist.gov/document/nistsp-1021pdf
  - marcinzm 7y ago
    In most places the fire department will do unannounced inspections periodically and in case of a complaint.
- the_mitsuhiko 7y ago
  But that was the case in Poland too by law. The owner locked the door anyways.
jld 7y ago
The fire department can do surprise inspections of businesses to insure they are complying with fire codes. If it’s unsafe, they can close the business until the issues has been resolved. I wouldn’t call it heavy enforcement, and it’s not perfect. People die in commercial fires not too infrequently in the US. https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/ct-abn-arcada-closed-st-0322-story.html https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/ct... https://cbs4indy.com/2019/04/29/messy-aisles-causes-speedway-fire-dept-to-close-dollar-tree/ https://cbs4indy.com/2019/04/29/messy-aisles-causes-speedway...
- jjeaff 7y ago
  It's also not a "U.S." thing since fire codes and enforcement are usually a county by county basis and not inspected or enforced on a federal level. Though most all urban areas have enforcement, many smaller areas do not.
nullwasamistake 7y ago
They call it fire code inspections. Most commercial places are inspected at least once a year. You can't have an emergency exit that locks, it must always be openable from the inside. You get huge fines for an emergency exit that is blocked in any way, and the fire inspectors will shut down your business until it is fixed. The system isn't perfect but it works most of the time, fire deaths in the US are quite rare.
- derefr 7y ago
  Question: how do prisons handle fires under these regulations?
  - jccooper 7y ago
    There are specific rules for prisons (as there are for theme parks and haunted houses.) They must have fire detection and a way to unlock if it is detected, and usually there must be someone monitoring the system whenever occupied and ready to enact emergency procedures.
    - nullwasamistake 7y ago
      Adding to that, there's special regulations for almost anything. Hotels, work sites, warehouses. The national fire code is quite a tome, and usually local rules are added on top
merpnderp 7y ago
If you walk out of someplace and think it is unsafe and call the fire department, I can’t imagine a single location in the US that wouldn’t be “surprise” inspected the very next day.

untog 7y ago

It's not just that. There's a reason why fire escapes are usually extra exits on top of the usual ones (even if they're only through a window) and in NYC at least a bunch have been shut down because they closed off access to those fire escapes.

ApolloFortyNine 7y ago

I was in one where we were handcuffed all the the same wire. We had to sign a waiver, and the way the waiver was phrased mentioned there would be two people watching the cameras. I'm not sure if this was enough to make it legal, but it was my favorite escape room so far. It made it more like you were escaping. The handcuff puzzle only took about 10 minutes and required everyone to actually work together (no quarterbacking).

Kuraj 7y ago
Wrocław?

michaelbuckbee 7y ago

I've been to three different ones (NY, and two in Virginia) and the door has always been locked. The caveat being that the room/situation is closely monitored (camera + intercom).