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Author Topic: Leaving through front exit doors. Claude S. Ayakawa Film God Posts: 2738 From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 12-06-2009 02:25 PM                        All our newer theatres have exits only through the rear of of the auditorium but a few older ones have doors up front next to the screen and it used to annoy me very much when people would leave through these doors when the credits are rolling during a daytime showing. The Varsity in Honolulu that was demolished almost two years ago had such a set up and there were times when some idiot would leave through these doors in the middle of a movie during a matinée Grrrr Do you have this happening at your theatres if you have exit doors next to the screen? -Claude  |  IP: Logged Mitchell Dvoskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1869 From: West Milford, NJ, USA Registered: Jan 2001 posted 12-06-2009 02:32 PM                     Most building codes require some sort of front emergency exit doors, unless the auditorium is very small.  |  IP: Logged Robert Minichino Master Film Handler Posts: 350 From: Haskell, NJ, USA Registered: Dec 2005 posted 12-06-2009 04:14 PM                        You need emergency exits, but you can have them alarmed with delayed opening if you don't want the patrons to use them.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 12-06-2009 04:47 PM                        The Regal Colorado Mills 16 here in Lakewood Colorado almost always have their front exit doors locked shut. You can usually open them if you slam against them with the full force of your body, though. I hope that there is never a fire in that theater as that is a huge liability.  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 12-06-2009 08:28 PM                        quote: Joe Redifer always have their front exit doors locked shut. You can usually open them if you slam against them with the full force of your body, though. That's interesting. In our area, the fire marshall's office does periodic inspections... at least once or twice a year. The exits, exit signs and hallway lighting are usually the first things they check. Any problems generate follow-up calls within something like 30 days.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 12-06-2009 08:56 PM                     Ours are alarmed with signage depicting "Emergency Exit Only -Alarm will sound" Kinda put the kabosh on patrons wanting to go out that way. But some still go out through these doors...and setting off the location alarm that goes off in the lobby.  |  IP: Logged Sam Graham AKA: "The Evil Sam Graham". Wackiness ensues. Posts: 1431 From: Waukee, IA Registered: Dec 2004 posted 12-07-2009 12:37 PM                        I have never been in a theater where the exit doors by the screens were restricted in any way, and I'll use them if it's a more convenient exit than going through the back again. Some of them, particularly in mall theaters, exit to an awesome maze of corridors.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-07-2009 03:01 PM                        We have an exit next to the screen but nobody ever uses it. Once we had a situation where we had two shows too close together, and the lobby became TOTALLY packed with people so we decided to exit the early crowd thru the front exit. You'd have thought we were teaching blind people to walk again...I would point and say "We'd like everyone to use THAT exit down there please" but they just kept coming towards me like zombies until I repeated it about five or six times.  |  IP: Logged Paul Mayer Oh get out of it Melvin, before it pulls you under! Posts: 3836 From: Albuquerque, NM Registered: Feb 2000 posted 12-07-2009 05:06 PM                        Are we talking about theaters designed so that the main exits are next to the screen? Like the old Pasadena Hastings Ranch? The concession area was behind the screen, and the main exits for the auditorium were either side of the screen.  |  IP: Logged Jeremy Jorgenson Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1002 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: Feb 2005 posted 12-07-2009 10:22 PM                        quote: Sam Graham Some of them, particularly in mall theaters, exit to an awesome maze of corridors. The multiplexes in Krakow, Poland always have the patrons exit through the front exit doors by/near/under the screen, rather than back into the lobby. Even if it was a very dead show and I was the only one in there, an usher would be there to direct me to those doors. Depending on which location, it could be kind of confusing the first time when it turned into a maze like Sam talks about. Thankfully, they let out in an area where bathrooms are available.  |  IP: Logged Chris Slycord Film God Posts: 2986 From: 퍼항시, 경상푹도, South Korea Registered: Mar 2007 posted 12-07-2009 10:26 PM                     quote: Paul Mayer Are we talking about theaters designed so that the main exits are next to the screen? Like the old Pasadena Hastings Ranch? The concession area was behind the screen, and the main exits for the auditorium were either side of the screen. I think he means that at most places you enter and exit through the back, but there are emergency exits at the front. And so when someone would go out the emergency exits in mid-day, light would shine inside and screw up his watching the credits (or blind him from not adjusting).  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-08-2009 12:29 AM                        Our theatre actually used to have exits on either side of the screen -- but when the screen was widened to accommodate "scope" pictures in 1953, the exits were covered, so they cut a new exit into the side of the auditorium right next to the screen. But it goes into a hallway, so no light gets in if somebody does happen to use it.  |  IP: Logged Justin Hamaker Film God Posts: 2253 From: Lakeport, CA USA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 12-08-2009 02:50 AM                        All three of the theatres I've worked it were designed so the exit at the bottom of the auditorium sends a signal to an alarm panel behind the concession stand. If a door alarm goes off when people are supposed to be exiting, it's not big deal. If it's in the middle of the show, employees are supposed to run and check it out - this happens maybe 2-3 times per month. Most often it's just someone trying to smoke or talk on the cell without "missing" the movie. People use these doors to exit all the time, especially the two auditoriums where the doors face the packing lot.  |  IP: Logged Chris Slycord Film God Posts: 2986 From: 퍼항시, 경상푹도, South Korea Registered: Mar 2007 posted 12-08-2009 11:03 AM                     quote: Mike Blakesley But it goes into a hallway, so no light gets in if somebody does happen to use it. Yeah because when there's an emergency and everyone needs to get out as soon as possible, it makes perfect sense to make it so they can't see a damn thing... Dumbest idea ever.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-08-2009 11:20 AM                        Chris, you are the king of stupid assumptions around here. I didn't say the hallway was dark. There's a motion-sensor light in there that comes on when the door is opened, but the light itself is located around a corner so it doesn't shine into the auditorium. Duh?  |  IP: Logged

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