Fire Alarm, No Alarm.

[katharos]

It occurs to me that we, meaning me and my fellow campus cubicle inmates, are far too blase about little things like the fire alarm.

My reaction upon hearing the siren start to blare? Look up and groan. Finish entering my Yuletide fandom nomination submission. Stand up and cast vaguely around for my keys. Find them. Check there's money in my bag in case they make us stand around in the cold for hours so I can get a hot drink. Take a minute to peruse the bookshelf to select suitable entertainment. Pick The Story of the Stone. Meander outside. On the way downstairs, strike up a casual conversation with the girl I lived next door to last year.

Then hung around in the dark for ages, amusing self by taking in the various stages of undress people were in. These tended to be the Freshers who haven't yet absorbed the sheer, utter indifference that experience brings. Since my washing had been drying in the laundry I darted off to get it, and ended up donating my duvet cover to one of the unfortunates.

We've finally been let back in and it seems that, for once, it wasn't a bunch of drunks fooling around and smashing the fire alarms. A girl had burnt her chicken instead.

God, we're all going burn in our beds one day.

Comments

[lycoris.livejournal.com]

You know, I didn't have any alarms in the first year. I haven't had any this year yet, either. I wasn't even here for the practise one. I think this is a good thing. Last year, there was something wrong with the alarm circuit for my sister and her fire alarm went off every morning for about two weeks. This doesn't help you take it seriously either.

Mind you, my Mum always maintains that it's silly to rush out in undress - I have been firmly taught that when the fire alarm goes off, you pull on shoes and a coat before anything else. Unless the air is actually full of smoke, in which case, all bets are off. (sister and I learned that lesson at the rugby holiday we went on with Dad. Alarm goes off at some ridiculous hour in the morning and we calmly pull on coat and shoes and wander out to find lots of shivery rugby players in very little clothing. Sadly, this was long before I had any sort of sex drive at all, so I had no appriciation at all, except about how funny it was!)

There ... was going to be a point to this comment, originally ...

[katharos-8.livejournal.com]

That saving yourself from burning to death isn't much use if you then freeze? *grin*

[lycoris.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that was probably it. Or perhaps "Don't panic." Something like that!

[ramble-corner.livejournal.com]

too true ^__^

We have one at the office the other day [fortunately just a drill] and the first thing I did was rush back to my desk [which is a no no] to retrieve my phone which I left earlier XDXD

[katharos-8.livejournal.com]

Maybe you can just buy a new phone, but what about everything you have saved on it?!