In case of fire, do not use elevator - Inscribing action

Before the days of using credit card sized, plastic card as a key for a hotel room, they used regular a key.

Very often the key would be accompanied by a massive key chain. The chain would be so big that it made it awkward to put the key in any pocket or small purse. You wonder why?

Because, people lost hotel keys. Replacing keys are more expensive than replacing plastic cards and the hotels were eager to have you leave the room key with them when you left the hotel, wether it was for a dinner, an errand, or for good. They added a key chain that made the majority of hotel guest choose to swing by the customer service desk to have the key stay with the hotel while they were out. Without saying to you, leave the key with us they inscribed the action by adding the key chain.

Last night I stayed at Renaissance Toronto Hotel Downtown. Early night, after I had fallen asleep may I add, the fire alarm went off. I jumped! High, fast, and out of bed. Quickly threw on a pair of pants, a shirt, grabbed by jacket and headed out of the room and to the stairs.

I thought I would be in good company running down those stairs, but oddly enough, there was only another gentleman and myself. We arrive at the lobby and was met by three staff occupied answering the phones, which were ringing of the hook. There seemed to be no evacuation taking place, so we decide to wait in the lobby. As we’re waiting more people enter the lobby, some in pyjamas - via the elevator.

There is it at least one place I don’t want to get caught stuck, and that is, in an elevator, during a fire. What’s with people?!

It made me wonder, why elevators continue to operate during a fire alarm. Technology has come so far that cars are now practically driving themselves (some more than others), so why aren’t elevators automatically brought to lobby level and halted at the sounds of a fire alarm and thereby inscribing the action - in case of fire - take the stairs?