An "ALARMING" Situation!

[Piora]

I was awakened this morning by my apartment building's fire alarm. When the alarm is triggered, it goes off in every apartment, so it cannot be ignored. I was in bed, so I had to get up and get dressed before making my way down the stairs (I live several floors up) and out into the cold. Not a great way to start the day!

Anyway, to my point. While I was getting hurriedly dressed (in male clothing, of course) I began to ponder what would happen if one day, the alarm went off and I was fully dressed, maybe even in my Maid's Outfit (that is in my avatar), with makeup, earrings, wig and everything. I suppose most of it wouldn't be too hard to hide or remove - or cover up..... but the makeup would. And, in my haste, who knows what I might forget I had on. That got me thinking on the fact that I should be prepared for that exact thing ever happening, and make sure I could do it quickly. After all, it may not have been a false alarm (like this one) but the real thing, and time might be a factor in getting out!

Anyone else in a high-rise that would have a similar predicament?

"Anyone hear about the fire alarm going off in the breast form plant? Turns out it was a Falsie Alarm....."

[Jackie Bee]

Hi Piora,

I don't think you have an alarm problem. More of a wardrobe problem.

This is one suggestion. Of course you may want to go with an Eddie Bauer coat.

[Melody1985]

Yes.. And this could be an issue.. But since you never know if it's a drill or not, you have to do what's necessary to save your skin, and deal with the possible consequences afterward.

If I was that concerned with what my neighbors are thinking, I would maybe lie and say this girl I just met is into some freaky stuff, so she put make up on me but forgot to bring something, so she went home to get it, then the alarm went off.

[kellycan27]

I am pretty sure that if it came to choosing whether to die in a fire or out yourself.. you'd opt for the latter and not care what your neighbors might think.. Live to dress another day.

[Sam-antha]

This reminds me of Pavlov and his dog. Thankfully the only fire alarms that I have listened to in the past, were at work where that meant a ten minute break.
~S~

[sometimes_miss]

Here goes: For emergencies, you should always have at least a small all class emergency fire extinguisher available, everywhere. I keep one in my kitchen, behind the door in my bedroom, and by both front and back doors. If you live on an upper floor there should be multiple exits. If you're on a second or higher floor of a shorter apt building, it should have good fire escapes. Private houses often don't have fire escapes, so you should have at least a chain/rope ladder to toss out the window to climb down (make sure it's not above another window where flames from below can catch you).
Seems like overkill, until you're the one who might be killed.
Smoke, natural gas, and carbon monoxide alarms in bedroom. Keep long pants and long sleeve shirt ALWAYS hanging on a hook near the door, also a towel to get rid of lipstick quick. A couple of those cheap plastic grocery bags in the pockets of the pants too. If you wear glasses, keep a pair of big plain plastic frames in the pocket, they will hide most eye makeup at least temporarily until you can get to your car (where you keep your emergency make up removal equipment, including nail polish remover packets). Keep an extra male outfit in the trunk of car.
Those are your basics. When I got my bank ATM cards, I requested duplicates, which my friend keeps in his house, with xerox copies of all my I.D. and vital information papers such as birth certificates, etc..
At least I can access my money and get started back to normalcy after a disaster with the least trouble.

[josee]

Yes.. And this could be an issue.. But since you never know if it's a drill or not, you have to do what's necessary to save your skin, and deal with the possible consequences afterward.

If I was that concerned with what my neighbors are thinking, I would maybe lie and say this girl I just met is into some freaky stuff, so she put make up on me but forgot to bring something, so she went home to get it, then the alarm went off.

That's the excuse I have always had in back up.
I'm married so I just thought I'd say "My wife is really kinky but it gets her goin like you wouldn't believe"!

[KellyJameson]

In 1994 I was attending California State Univ at Northridge and living across the street in a 200 unit apartment complex. An earthquake struck at 4.31 a.m and I was brought violently out of sleep by a roar of noise and shaking. Adrenaline poured into my blood and I thought for sure I was going to die.

My apartment was a single room with bathroom and as I jumped out of bed the first impulse was to turn on a light switch but power had automatically shut off to the whole city, fortunately I found a flashlight lying on the floor. The apartment was wrecked with bookshelves and books, television, wallhangings now lying on the floor blocking my exit.

My girlfriend at the time also lived in the apartment complex but was staying with me that night. It was early into the relationship and that was the first night we had shared a bed together. She already knew I crossdressed and we both were wearing matching silk pink teddy's, both mine. ( very cute!)

She was crying and screaming and I was barely holding it together but my mind had cleared and I realized now what had happened and my thoughts were that the building could be on fire and was not thinking about how I was dressed only to get the hell out as fast as possible.

Books had fallen blocking the front door and it opened just enough to squeeze out sideways one at a time. Approximately three hundred people lived in the complex and instinctually we all moved away from the building and to the open parking lot. Many were wrapped in sheets or whatever they could grab and that is when I learned that it is not uncommon for people to sleep naked.

I was the only one with shaved legs wearing a pink teddy and it could be my paranoia but it seemed like most of the flashlights people were holding kept being shined in my direction. I started sleeping in oversized mens shirts after that.

[Jess Marie]

I would be grabbing as much stuff as I could. I wouldn't want to loose everything, especially such a nice outfit. I'm at college and I was dressed when the alarm went off. I was wearing Jeggings, skirt, bra/panties/forms, a long black top, and boots. What did I do? I quickly took my forms out pulled my skirt up so it was around my stomach, put on a man shirt over my femme clothes. Then put a heavy jacket on (I'm in upstate NY and it was November for goodness sake), threw actual jeans over my jeggings and kicked off my boots real quick in favor of shoes. This took me about a minute and I was good to go.

The key is practice and you dont have to take off everything, stockings can be covered with jeans or sweat pants, a loose shirt can hide bra straps, and a heavy coat can hide your outfit. The make up will be harder, but you should focus on getting a routine down for getting clothes on

[alluts]

I like Jakie Bee s Ideal! I have the same fear, although I live in a home....what if the house alarm goes off! A burglar would definately be surprised for sure.....

[*Vanessa*]

@sometimes_miss
Goodness I find your approach to alarms & safety a little alarming

[Dawn cd]

Kelly I'm jealous. I've always wanted a girl to tell me, "when I slept with you the earth moved!"

[Jennifer in CO]

When our house burned down several years ago, we were awaken by a neighbor at 5am shouting "YOUR GARAGE IS ON FIRE!!". I always sleep in a gown and my wife in a t shirt. I had a pair of shorts and a tank top next to the bed I had been wearing the night before and threw those on and went to the door...wife got dressed. We got out, lost some pets and everything else we owned but how we were dressed was no where near our concern or thoughts. The "I can chuckle about it now" is HOW we were dressed...My wife just threw on her jeans with her sleep shirt (Garfield), and I in my tank and shorts...a white spaghetti strap tank top with lace trim and white cuffed short shorts...we were both barefoot. Did I mention my toes were a pink frost? I can appreciate the pink teddy Kelly...believe me...I don't think I got any looks as I'm sure people thought I just threw on what was handy but it gets funnier. About mid day (this is mid August) my wife says I'm starting to burn (I don't tan at first..I burn). She gets me a cover shirt out of our daughters car she had seen earlier. By late evening we have made arrangements for a place to stay and the insurance company has been by with a check for immediate needs...like clothing. So here we are at 10pm wandering through WalMart in a daze...her still in a Garfield sleep shirt and jeans and I in a white lace trimmed tank with white cuffed short shorts...with a white eyelet lace peasant sleeved cover shirt....and we're both still barefoot.

so Kelly...how long before you were able to get clothes on?

Jenn

[Pamela Kay]

Jennifer, sorry about your house fire. It's a good thing that didn't happen today, you could have been caught on camera and be in the latest "People of Walmart" video.

[KellyJameson]

Hi Jenn. There were a number of fires and several natural gas explosions you could see and hear in the distance, the property was served by natural gas for cooking and heating which is why I was concerned about fire. The sun was coming up and there was no way I was going to be seen in broad daylight with a pink teddy on so I found the main gas shut off and shut down the whole complex hoping that I would not get into trouble. I retrieved our jeans, shoes and sweat shirts for both myself and girlfriend, shaking off all the broken glass that covered them. The complex did not experience much damage and the landlord was thrilled because he was able to have 100% occupancy for many months afterward.

I never did consummate the act with my girlfriend, she was so freaked out about the earthquake that she moved back to the east coast along with much of the population of Northridge.

She still blames me for the earthquake because I was making fun of all the people suffering through a snow storm in her home state of Connecticut saying that all we have to deal with in L.A is the occasional tremor and six hours latter I was eatting my words.

[RenneB]

I'd probably burn... No, not really. In fact that last disaster occured via cell phone. I was home alone all dressed up almost ready to go out when the cell phone rang. The SO was just down the street coming home for lunch to pick something up. The SO has never done this before. So I raced down to the closet and in less than 2.5 minutes, was out of the outfit and into the sweats... racing up to the shower to get all the makeup off. Made it to the top of the stairs while she was coming in the house.... whew.. that was a close one..

You can do things very fast with sugar pumping through your veins...

Renne.....

[Beth Mays]

One more reason I DO NOT want live in a big apartment building.

[maryellen]

This has happened to me while fully dressed and in makeup. In a highrise, you generally get two alarms; one to get to the fire tower while the fire dept arrives and then a further announcement, usually to go back to what you were doing. Perhaps foolishly, I used the period between the announcements to dress down to where it wasn't obvious and then went to the fire tower. Now I leave our a pair of jeans and sweat shirt in case it happens again.

[Cynthia Anne]

In 1994 when my brothers house caught fire I was the first one out and wearing my night gown! I grabed my heels, purse and robe and watch the excitement with all the neighbors! Hugs!

[Piora]

Hi Piora,

I don't think you have an alarm problem. More of a wardrobe problem.

Really? How so?

This is one suggestion. Of course you may want to go with an Eddie Bauer coat.

Little bit of overkill if it was summertime, don't you think?

I am pretty sure that if it came to choosing whether to die in a fire or out yourself.. you'd opt for the latter and not care what your neighbors might think.. Live to dress another day.

Well, yes of course you're right. The problem is, in the past we've had so many false alarms and malfunctioning alarms, that this time I almost didn't bother. But sure as hell, the one time that I didn't head out would be the time that there really would have been a fire!

Keep long pants and long sleeve shirt ALWAYS hanging on a hook near the door, also a towel to get rid of lipstick quick. A couple of those cheap plastic grocery bags in the pockets of the pants too. If you wear glasses, keep a pair of big plain plastic frames in the pocket, they will hide most eye makeup at least temporarily until you can get to your car (where you keep your emergency make up removal equipment, including nail polish remover packets). Keep an extra male outfit in the trunk of car.

Wow, you really have thought this through. Those are some excellent ideas that I will certainly take to heart. Thanks, sometimes_miss!

Those are your basics. When I got my bank ATM cards, I requested duplicates, which my friend keeps in his house, with xerox copies of all my I.D. and vital information papers such as birth certificates, etc..
At least I can access my money and get started back to normalcy after a disaster with the least trouble.

Definitely more excellent suggestions, for sure. These are things we tend not to want to think about happening....until they do.

The key is practice and you don't have to take off everything, stockings can be covered with jeans or sweat pants, a loose shirt can hide bra straps, and a heavy coat can hide your outfit. The make up will be harder, but you should focus on getting a routine down for getting clothes on

Got some great suggestions from posting this, for sure. Next time that I dress I will certainly have a plan in place. Thanks, Jess Marie.

One more reason I DO NOT want live in a big apartment building.

Yeah, I don't want to live here either, since the neanderthals that live above me think they are the only people that live in the building, and sometimes I think the ceiling is going to come down. But, the building is well-kept and the neighbourhood is safe. Meh. What ya gonna do?

Thanks to all who responded with some great suggestions!