The Tanner Building houses the Marriott School of Management, and as a result, most often houses me. I stayed until about 11:10, not too late, but late enough for me to get some stuff done. I started walking towards the exit doors, when I saw the very familiar and confusing red signs that hang on the doors:
Then I thought, "Oh, it is after 11." Now, this is by no means the first time I have stayed late in the Tanner Building. I have been here until about 1:30. However, they are doing significant construction at the Tanner Building, and as a result, have the front doors, the ones that are never alarmed, blocked off.
I didn't know what to do. I thought, maybe if I pushed the doors open really quick, I could get out before the alarm went off. Then, remembering back to high school physics, and remembering that the alarms are magnetically sen sored, I figured I would have to open the doors and get through quickly enough so there was no interruption in the force between the two sensors--I would have to go faster than the speed of a traveling electron, which, I think, travels at about the speed of light. So, if I could open faster than 670 616 629 miles per hour, I would be in business. I got out a stopwatch, and tested myself on a nearby door. I was not quick enough.
So, as when confronted with any problem, I did what any reasonable BYU student does: I called BYU info. The operator told me the doors REALLY were alarmed, and that the red sign was not just kidding. She transferred me to campus security.
I talked with a nice girl, who told me that she was the one monitoring the doors, and that if I went through, it would be alright. I became slightly skeptical. So, I said, "We are going to have a test. You tell me when I open the door." I then waited a bit, and very quietly opened the door, and she said, "You opened the door." It was erie. I thanked her, hung up, and ran to my truck, watching out for snipers rappelling down the building and shooting at me.
So, that is my story of how I escaped from the Tanner Building. Amen.
2 comments:
Great story Jeff! It's got me thinking.... I wonder if the alarm goes off when you depress the handle or when the door actually opens? Next time you're there late, you could do a little test. Hmmm, what kind of sensor are they using to detect that the door is open? I wonder if you can trick the sensor into thinking the door is closed.
hahah! That's funny because i can totally relate. I set off an alarm at the BYU library my freshman year. And then there was the Safeway grocery store alarm...
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