Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Three kids deep here and I've never heard this idiocy before. Now twice in a month, we've been denied a high chair for our toddler in a restaurant at the end of a booth because it's a "fire hazard". After looking puzzled and wondering how the high chair could spontaneously burst into flames somehow, the sweet hostess said they weren't allowed to have those as it poses an obstacle for patrons to flee wildly from the restaurant if it were to be aflame.
I don't blame her, just doing her job, and I don't even know if it is some sort of recently passed law as I've never heard this before, but let's assume it's true. In one particular case, there was literally 20 feet of space between the booths, a high chair is really going to prevent people from leaving the building??? In the meantime, fat uncle George is sitting at the end of a table clogging the walkway a mere 3 tables over in a busy restaurant. Double standard anyone?
"Can he just sit in the booth with you?" Ummm no, he's 2 you blithering idiot, he'll slither under the table and be running wild through the joint in less than 5 minutes, not to mention, he won't be able to reach his food since the table would be at eye level. Then it gets better... as I'm sighing, comtemplating loading my three kids back into the car to go eat somewhere else that has a tad more common sense and have employees with some problem solving ability, she blurts out "Can I get you a sling for your baby carrier?" So the sling for my car seat (no, not for the 2 year old, we have a 4 month old as well), which is easily twice as big as the high chair is somehow acceptable, but the high chair clearly isn't. Makes no sense.
I've come to the conclusion fire departments are lazy! (They don't ever want to work - put out any fires, so go to extremes to be sure they never happen! [Or perhaps they do care and don't want to see anymore people hurt from fires?])
Anyway they take into account EVERY single situation you can imagine. That would include blind people exiting a building during a fire (might run into that high chair!). They now even want lighted EXIT signs at floor level! (That is so people crawling on the floor in a smoke filled hallway will be able to see where the exit is.)
A LOT of these excessive regulations are getting to be ridiculous. Cities and businesses can't afford to meet all these federal and state [unfunded] requirements. It is about time everyone stand up and say ENOUGH! WE CAN'T AFFORD ANY MORE REGULATIONS!
Ah yes, I was at one and only one restaurant where I was told high chairs were fire hazards. They could put an adult chair at the end of a booth as there were no "regulations" about that, but god forbid a high chair was put at the end of the booth...instant fire hazard.
They now even want lighted EXIT signs at floor level! (That is so people crawling on the floor in a smoke filled hallway will be able to see where the exit is.)
A LOT of these excessive regulations are getting to be ridiculous.
Actually..... I have a blind friend who has been one of the forces behind that legislation. He uses a guide dog and was in the second building hit at the WTC on 9/11. Dogs are trained to look up and use the signs to guide their owners out of a burning building. As the stairways filled with smoke (which rises) his dog, Roselle, was unable to see them. His dog would have been able to see signs at floor level. (Just as people crawling on the floor, to avoid having to breathe in deadly smoke, would be able to see them.)
The fastest way for him to get out of the building was to rely on his dog. While people were offering to help him out, that help would have slowed his progress. And the progress of the people helping him. He and his dog were both able to get out just moments before the building collapsed. Thankfully, Roselle was then able to lead him through the rubble to a subway entrance and a safe ride home.
For anyone wanting to read his story he wrote a book: "Thunder Dog - The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero" by Michael Hingson.
Last edited by DewDropInn; 05-05-2014 at 09:22 AM..
Fire codes are not designed to make your dining experience unpleasant, but to ensure people are able to exit a building quickly should they need to. Not rocket science.
What about booster chairs that fit onto the seat of the booths? Why wouldn't these work (assuming the restaurant in question has booths)? Would they be viewed as impeding the exit of others sitting in the booth?
Actually..... I have a blind friend who has been one of the forces behind that legislation. He uses a guide dog and was in the second building hit at the WTC on 9/11. Dogs are trained to look up and use the signs to guide their owners out of a burning building. As the stairways filled with smoke (which rises) his dog, Roselle, was unable to see them. His dog would have been able to see signs at floor level. (Just as people crawling on the floor, to avoid having to breathe in deadly smoke, would be able to see them.)
The fastest way for him to get out of the building was to rely on his dog. While people were offering to help him out, that help would have slowed his progress. And the progress of the people helping him. He and his dog were both able to get out just moments before the building collapsed. Thankfully, Roselle was then able to lead him through the rubble to a subway entrance and a safe ride home.
For anyone wanting to read his story he wrote a book: "Thunder Dog - The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero" by Michael Hingson.
That's interesting...I admit I wondered why they were putting the signs down low now....but I thought it was only because of people crawling (as we've been instructed for years) to stay low in a smoking fire...never thought of seeing eye dogs....which makes perfect sense! Good for your friend getting this addressed!
Fire codes are not designed to make your dining experience unpleasant, but to ensure people are able to exit a building quickly should they need to. Not rocket science.
No, as usual, you think the rules don't apply to you. We get it.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
