Going Up? Then Go Prepared

Few weeks back I was visiting a relative in Jacksonville. Since he is of my generation and didn't spend his adult life learning to break stuff into little tiny pieces, he's a fairly big wig with a well known firm. We went out for lunch, and upon returning went to use his executive elevator in the fancy schmancy building he "works" in, but the thing was down for service.

Headed to the stairway doors and they were locked. Metal doors. Shut. Locked. So we then had to wind our way back to the original entrance of the complex and try the peon elevators and they were operational so up we went.

Remember when large, or even small for that matter, office buildings had fire-axes on at least each and every floor? As a kid we'd fool around in the Empire State Building, and once one of the elevator operators told us that the building had over 3,000 axes.

Three-thousand. And not darling little hatchets like you see today, when you actually do see them, but robust door removers that'd take out anything short of a bank vault.

No more. Anti-terrorist security procedures have done away with anything that could possibly be employed as a weapon, so we're each and every one of us reliant upon technology to save our hide should a building go up in smoke. The particular doors at my relatives' place of business were programmed to open if and when a fire alarm went off, or should heat and/or smoke sensors trip the unlock switch.

Yeah. Right. First thing they tell you is DO NOT use the elevators in case of fire, and the next thing they tell you is just wait a while and the fire doors will open all by themselves, so no sweat.

Yeah. Right. Now, as long as I'm on a side of a doorway that opens out and away, there's a decent enough chance of being able to bull rush the thing into splinters, as long as its made of wood. But the metal, fire-proofed doors are something else. Hurl 270 or so pounds at one time and again and maybe you'll leave a mark, but today's fire/security doors are designed to prevent people from using them and they do a damned good job of it.

And please now, the "sit-back-and-be-patient" we're coming to help you doesn't work anymore. Things are far too complicated. And dammit, there are no more axes.

Next time out I am leaving the little blades at home and bringing the Spartan. The web is full of chatter about what knife to use in the wild, but there should be more talk of what to use in the asphalt jungle.

Here's the YouTube video from Cold Steel, and while they usually go overboard in advertising their wares, I dismiss the puffery and concentrate on the usefulness of their products. Say what you will, but they do make robust blades that'd open just about any fire door around.

Opposites are attractive.

The Spartan in Aus 8 steel and the Kershaw Shallot in CPM ST110 V. One can open pretty much anything that needs opening, and the other is made of the finest stainless steel in existence, but configured for more gentile applications. From now on, I'm carrying both.

We spend so very much of our time thinking about preparing for a bug-out towards the woodlands, maybe we're forgetting that there's more to survival than taking out that pesky cougar. I for one spend more time than I want to in large, modern, buildings ...getting involved in politics will do that to a fella...and less and less time in the swamp where I SHOULD be harassing large ugly reptiles and democrat politicians. Same difference.