Roblog

I ate lunch on my own today and decided to venture down into the tunnels as I often do. I found a seating area at which to eat my dumplings – a place in the Lamar tunnel I’ve eaten at before. There is a opening in the ceiling into the lobby of the building above, and I could hear the programmable piano playing as it often does. All the times I had eaten there, I had never known what building it was. Since I was alone for lunch today, I decided to find out.

There was an elevator right there next to the eating area, so I walked over and pressed the button. I noticed the small sign that said “card access required”, but I figured that was for after hours. If it wasn’t, the elevator wouldn’t work for me, right? After waiting a little for the elevator, its doors opened. I walked into the empty elevator and pressed “1” for the main floor.

The elevator didn’t move at first, but I didn’t think much of it since many elevators connected to the tunnels are very slow. After about 4 seconds it started its ascent. As I exited the elevator on the first floor, I passed someone entering the elevator.

I was actually a little concerned at this point. The small delay before the elevator moved for me combined with the fact that someone on the first floor was waiting for the elevator made me suspect that it was card access only. I only got up to the first floor because she called the elevator to her. So I quickly looked around and saw my building out the windows. I could exit the building and then figure out which one I had been in.

As I left the building I saw the little “card access required for re-entry” by the door again. I didn’t pay it any mind, since I wouldn’t need to re-enter. I would just head for the safety of my building.

Just outside the building there were several large raised beds with bushes, trees, and flowers in them. There were small gaps between them where I could easily walk through. There were some patio tables and chairs in this area, too, with some people eating lunch, and some people having a smoke break. I headed for the nearest gap between the building and a large raised bed.

There was a small gate spanning the gap between the building and the bed. It was about 3 feet tall, but no obvious way to open it. Hm. I walked around – casually – to another gap to find my way blocked again by a similar gate. The final gap I saw had, predictably, another gate.

Now I realized my full predicament. I had inadvertently gained access to the building and walked out into the outdoor smoking area, which was not designed for egress but not so secured that they could leave the card readers off of the reentry doors. I was trapped. I could easily climb over the low gates, but I’d prefer not to have to explain to some security guard why I was clambering out of the smoking area without any valid reason to be in the building in the first place. I decided I’d have to get back into the building. Yes, I was going to gain access to the building again, just so I can exit it properly.

I sat down – casually – and fiddled with my leftover eggroll as I observed the area. There were three doors back into the building. I saw everyone badge in as they re-entered the building. The middle door closed very, very slowly. I could see people walking toward the nearest door from down the hall before they came out. I was starting to smell of smoke.

So I now had my plan: if anyone used the middle door, I would walk to it and re-enter the building before it closed. If anyone left the smoking area through another door, I would – casually – follow them as far behind as I felt comfortable and still be able to catch the door before it closed.

It seemed like there was about one person exiting or entering every minute or so, and it wasn’t long before someone at a table near me was packing up. I watched her approach the nearest door (not the slow middle door), so I got up and followed her. Casually. I grabbed the door before it closed and walked back into the building.

I can now see that I’m on the other side of the secure electronic turnstiles. All the elevators are on this side of the turnstiles. I briefly entertained the idea of taking one to some random floor, but instead I head toward the turnstiles. I walk right through them and out the main door, to freedom.

I could now see what building I was eating under and subsequently trapped outside of. It was the Waste Management building. That was a lot of effort to go through to satisfy my curiosity, but at least I can say it has been satisfied.