I can understand why it no longer has a button, but in which parallel universe does it make sense to put a clearly labeled Panic Button inside a high-school cafeteria, right next to the door?
Come on, now, really?
I managed to squelch the temptation to poke the remains of the switch stem with a pencil…
The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning 
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6 responses to “Buttonless Panic Button”
Yeah, that’s nuts. I’d be curious as to whether it was still even connected to anything, as there are still high school students who’d figure out like you did that the switch could still be activated. At least, I sincerely hope there are still such students, or we’re pretty much doomed.
Reminds me of a friend of mine who noticed the “emergency” button in the computer room where he worked. They had a fire drill, so he smacked the button on the way out, figuring that’s what he’d do if there was a real fire. When everybody came back in, the computers were down. WAY down. It turned out that button set off an explosive charge that launched a nonconducting wedge through the power mains! Or he could have been pulling my leg, but it’s a good story nonetheless.
an explosive charge that launched a nonconducting wedge through the power mains!
Well, when you care enough to be really, really sure…
Back in the day, every machine room at IBM had an EPO button by each exit door. We were carefully instructed that only a Real Emergency called for an Emergency Power Off, because the machines could very well ruin themselves on the way down. Not something you wanted to happen by accident on a one-of-a-kind prototype sprawled across an acre of raised floor.
I sincerely hope there are still such students
If I knew then what I know now, I’d get into a whole lot more trouble… perhaps a whole lot of different trouble. It’s best we start out ignorant, methinks.
Hey, I recognize that switch. It’s connected to a lighting controller from Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC; I used to work there) and if it does anything at all during regular business hours, it just turns on some lights (and overrides the levels set by the scene cues or otherwise programmed).
Still, not the kind of button you put in front of students…
///d@
P.S. Love the blog. I started at the recent TOM posts and made it back to hear so far…
The cafeteria has been doing double duty as the stage for plays & suchlike while the auditorium upgrade grinds onward, so perhaps that switch really is a lighting override.
I’m not sure any answer I’d get to the obvious question would have the least grain of truth to it, though… [grin]
[…] panic buttons in the high school cafeteria still beg the question: who thought panic buttons would be a Good Idea? I recently served as a […]
Press it.
Go on.
Dooooo iiiiiit.