'What’d you do in a burning building?' poll results/discussion

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  • XRAT
    XRAT Posts: 239
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    It's a risk assessment situation, I have been in exactly this situation (well never a cinema, but..,) on several occasions. Each time I chose to enter it, or had time to make an assesment when the fire started.., and I always did the walk and get everyone out sinario.
    However I chose the 'run' option when I voted because I think that's what I'd do if I had the 'begeebies' scared out of me.
    (Unless I had family in there.)
  • gh123
    gh123 Posts: 39 Forumite
    Obviously it's not like real life so let's forget that and answer the question logically.

    "You’re in a cinema watching a film and a fire starts, scaring the begeebies out of you. There are four possible outcomes…
    • You walk & everyone else walks… most people get out safely.
    • You run & everyone else walks… you definitely get out safely, others don't.
    • You walk & everyone else runs… many get killed, you’re definitely one.
    • You run & everyone else runs… many get killed, you’re possibly one."
    I said run because:

    According to the above choices, if you walk you might be safe/might be dead. Other walk option- you are definitely dead. So that's a 100% certain dead and a maybe alive/maybe dead if you walk. A maybe's not good enough for me.

    According to the above choices, if you run you either are 100% definitely ok, or other option you might be ok/might be dead.

    So in summary:
    A definitely ok and a maybe is better than a definitely dead and a maybe.

    On the other hand, people might say if everyone walks and stays calm then we'd all be ok. Fine, but what if you stay calm and others don't? They'll live to see their families again, you won't. Trying to do strangers a favour often backfires on you. Did they think of you when they ran?

    Save yourself and your own people, only then entertain the idea of helping strangers.

    I still say run.




  • elsien
    elsien Posts: 32,521
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    jud!th wrote: »
    I'd rather do what was right and die.

    Really.

    Would you rather do what was wrong and have the deaths of others on your conscience for the rest of your life?

    You're presuming a degree of rational thought is going on here. I'm guessing that for the majority of people (myself included) the first whiff of smoke will have everyone heading for the exits at speed. I also think that you'd be right there alongside the rest of us - nice sentiments, but panic doesn't work like that.
    All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.

    Pedant alert - it's could have, not could of.
  • It has been scientically proven that surviours of airplanes fires do so by climbing over seats and pushing forward. Run.
  • michaels
    michaels Posts: 27,949
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    Nash equilibrium is run - ie whatever 'everyone else' does you are best off running. Note this is classic PD - if every one is rationale all will run and overall outcome is not 'best' but 'worst'/

    Interesting game on Big brother the other week, no Nash equilibrium
    I think....
  • Mips
    Mips Posts: 19,796 Forumite
    I would be completely hysterical and make a mad dash for the exit :o
    :cool:
  • I would walk, but trip up any of you runners trying to pass me...

    ;)
  • I've actually been in this very situation, and was surprised when the entire cinema (all 10 screens, around half full, so about 1,200-1,500 people) started filing out in good order, casually strolling to the nearest fire exit.

    Only a handful made any effort to run, and generally stopped once they realised they were out of immediate danger.

    Quite a few even stopped to look back at the rapidly building fire that was spreading across the ceiling.

    The cinema box office reopened the next day, although they weren't showing any films. As a natural money saver, I obviously stopped off on my way past and swapped the tickets for the film that was interrupted for two guest passes for any future performance :D
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  • mymatebob
    mymatebob Posts: 2,199 Forumite
    ChowFan wrote: »
    If we make some assumptions on probabilities and that there's only 1 other person....

    A) You walk, other person walks. High probability of survival. 80%
    B) You run, other person walks. Definite survival. 100%
    C) You walk, he runs. Very Low survival. 10%
    D) You run, he runs. Low survival. 20%

    If we assume the other guy has a 50/50 chance of running, then we get.

    A+C) You walk, probability of survival. (80+10)/2 = 45%
    B+D) You run, probability of survival. (100+20)/2 = 60%

    Ergo, you should run. Now, what are the chances that someone would sit and work all this out while the cinema is burning? 0%.

    BTW, with regards to the Ryanair scenario, I'm the type that usually sits reading the paper till the queue's gone..., but if there was a fire, I'm deffo running!

    I think that these figures are purely speculative as if there was only 1 other person both of you would be likely to survive no matter what.


    I have been in a few situations where an alarm has gone off (more than one was a real fire) and left by the nearest available exit while other people queued to get out the front door. What surprised me is that I have seen people walk past a fire exit as it is shut and they don't seem to want to cause any bother by opening it.
    The sheep mentality is an amazing thing to behold.

    I would walk - as I have done.
  • I know that I'd walk as I do remain very calm in a crisis. But if everyone else was running I'm sure the survival instinct would kick in and I'd be dashing to the exit with my elbows out. Also known as the January sales instinct! :D
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