It amazes me how people form into a crowd in going out a mall, a theater or even just a medium-sized restaurant all because they seemingly don’t see (or refuse to do anything about what they see) that the door they’re using for exiting is actually a two-sided door. That is, a two-sided door that opens in the middle. But seldom do I see a two-sided door (e.g., a glass door) opened both ways in exit areas in public places like malls, restaurants, etc. Sometimes it’s for security reasons. In a mall, for instance, the two-sided exit door has only one side open to deter the easy escape of bad people, like shoplifters, whom the security guards maybe running after. It’s also to keep in the cool of the airconditioning in an establishment, as for example in the Philippines where warm weather mostly prevails. The coolness brought on by the aircon inside an establishment will more quickly dissipate if too much hot air from outside comes in. (But in entrance areas, the two-sided door is really usually closed on one side especially for security, even if the guards take more precautions by frisking the customers and checking the bags.)
But even then, customers do have the right and the opportunity to open both sides of a door that opens in the middle, especially if it becomes crowded in going out of any place. But again, like I said earlier, I’m amazed that people would rather suffer a few minutes of slowly moving out rather than opening up that other side of the door, which could really be easily done since it’s usually not locked. Usually, in such case, I’m almost always the one opening up that other side. I just don’t know if somebody, maybe the security, closes the door behind me. Hahah!
Image from weselldoors.com. (This is isn't an ad for them, just found them on the Net. I happen to like glass and wood, and the picture suited me fine.)
