AIBU to think customers’ behaviour about evacuating in the heavy rain was childish

[Loppp]

I visited my local supermarket this morning. It was dry at the time. The supermarket’s fire alarms were going off, when the thunder and lightning happened along with torrential downpours.

Some customers were being difficult to evacuate the store as it was raining! Guessing that from those who moaned at the staff and security were the older side.

How pathetic did these customers sounded?

The fire assembly point is not under cover.

I'm getting on a bit, and but in the extremely unlikely event that I drop dead in a coffee shop I really wouldn't mind if others finished their coffee (and cake, if applicable). I mean, I'd be dead. so it wouldn't bother me in the slightest.

It's pretty unlikely though, as I never go out for coffee.

Yes OP, the older generation are a fucking waste of space. Although I guess they maybe had some use at some point in time? Who knows, it's all a bit of a mystery. Anyway, do I get top marks for the right answer?

You have to cancel out instinct. And stupidity masquerading as instinct.

People generally remember how they got into a building. So when they panic, the instinct is to leave that way. Even if you have to pass 100 fire exits on the way.

Also space layout - intended to allow a lot of people to slowly move around without congestion - needs to also accommodate a crush. Separating an exit spaces into subspaces (eg. 2 single doors with a wall as opposed to a single double exit) can help too.

My employer felt if they were paying for me to go on a fire marshal jolly (it is tremendous fun setting off all the different extinguishers) then I should learn from it.

Little tip: if you are ever in a data centre and the fire alarm goes off you really need to exit PDQ. You really do not want to be caught in a halon storm.

PUWER 1998 (Provision and Use of Work Equipment) Is what they have to follow. If you feel a shopping centre or similar public place isn’t, complain.

Exactly. You weren’t sure they were old ?
Just an old age bashing thread. Not nice.

If it’s not then you need to write ‘older side’. There was no need to make reference to the age of moaners.

Eventually you get writers cramp.

Yes we are just bashing old people for fun.

Have you read any of the posts at all? They’re quite interesting.

In the same way that they'd be happy to deal with your remains if struck by lightning I guess.

I had to go out in a thunderstorm last week as I had an appointment, and I was surprised by the number of people walking along with their umbrellas up!

I did once, quite a while ago.

To a shop similar to a B&M or Home Bargains.

Admittedly I did have v close ties to the local Fire Brigade (through work) and Mike, bless him, went - in his uniform and official FB van - to the shop within the hour and closed it down.
They'd blocked fire exits, and he found there were also faults with their alarm and extinguishers.

I think at any age I'd be somewhat annoyed if I had to evacuate a shop for a drill, especially if I had a limited window for shopping or had already picked up a lot of things. If you know for certain that it's only a drill, of course it's frustratingly inconvenient, especially if you end up waiting around in a thunderstorm or heavy rain.

Maybe some older people were moaning. Now that you mentioned the age, to offer a real balanced judgement, I need more data to analyse. The older people were above 70 or around 60, were the frail or sturdy? All these would tell me that it’s worth showing some understanding towards them or not.

Falling is dangerous for older people. Many old people are mobile but do not have the agility and strength of younger people. So you can show some empathy that they showed their inconvenience given everything is a massive efforts after certain age. So what they moaned a little? Unless they refuse to leave at all.

Thanks to AI/google...

There were no fatalities due to lightning in 2025 in the UK.

There were 12 fire-related fatalities in non-domestic settings in 2025 in the UK.

Oh, and lightning travels up from the earth and not down from the sky. 🤯

I am the nemesis of a well known TV chef whose gastropub hotel decided to pea shingle the car park making the fire assembly point inaccessible for wheelchairs.

I emailed the local fire brigade on the Sunday checking out (didn't want to spoil the wedding) - apparently they were there next morning and served a closure notice.

Weirdly, when I pointed it out to the manager Friday evening "No one had complained."

Wouldn’t the rain have put the fire out?

I think at any age I'd be somewhat annoyed if I had to evacuate a shop for a drill,

I am a little puzzled as to how people seem to be able to instantly know it is a drill ? Where did they learn, and where can I learn (if it's possible at my age ?).

ChatGPT has just said that most people are so fucking stupid that if they can;t see a fire when they hear a fire alarm they assume it's a drill. I'm guessing that's because it's developed a very low opinion of human intelligence ?

Fire is funny, until it isn't. My fireman friend (who I recently remembered on a thread about RTAs) had an exercise when he was training. It was "Guess how many corpses are in this photo of a fire". No one got it right.

YABU for the ageist comment.

You’re ‘guessing’ they were on the ‘older side’, or they were?

OP, you are very superior for exiting the store and not minding getting wet. Have a medal. Well done

If it was just a drill and there was no fire, YABU - schedule it for another time!
If there was a real fire or potentially one YANBU - you’re not in control of the weather or their respective ages and ailments, it was simply unfortunate timing.
Side note: Is it possible to get a better shelter with a roof on or something for future bad weather, or would that compromise safety further?

I was doing CPR once and had people stepping over my legs to carry on shopping as I was mid chest compressions

Kids had to evacuated the school during a fire DRILL. They are not "old" in Primary school, they still moaned about being stuck outside in the rain. Can't blame them

Neither can I blame people to moan about being outside soaking wet in nothing but a towel in the middle of winter.

The places should have things to Evac Chairs. They are not really designed for very heavy people

I honestly think most people don't have any clue what to do in any kind of emergency and just continue on their programmed path, like an auto-pilot. There were drills (and actual fire alarms) at my last workplace and I was staggered at the number of people who faffed and argued about the right exit to use (clue: the nearest one to you right now, not the place where you usually sit). Then someone complained about me for telling them in a very firm tone what to do. 😆

I doubt supermarkets will erect a shelter for something which may not get used. Plus adds another place for the chav kids to hang out

Even my workplace, office has a fire assembly point which is not sheltered
The fire alarm wasn’t a drill it got triggered by the thunder