The Blocked Exit

On the building's busiest delivery day, boxes covered the lobby bench and narrowed the fire exit. During an evening alarm drill, the emergency door opened only halfway. A resident using a walking frame had to wait while neighbors shifted two parcels. The residents weighed a part-time attendant, parcel lockers, and collection through a nearby shop. An attendant could clear bulky boxes immediately, although wages would burden every flat. Lockers would keep routine parcels off the floor, but the lobby could hold only ten compartments. The shop accepts oversized deliveries, yet it closes before some night workers return. In December, the building received twenty seven parcels daily, making ten lockers plainly inadequate. Because the drill exposed a safety risk, residents valued a clear exit more than convenient collection. They chose an evening attendant, paid for by a small fee per delivery.