KungFu.Traffic.&.Spiral.Stairs

Yes! It is about the traffic again! One of the most discussed topics that city folks talk-about everyday next to food and the gym. When I left my office today, I could have sworn the traffic was smooth flowing, looking from the windows at my office. However, by the time I went down to the ground floor, there was already a queue starting and what's worst, it also started raining.

By the time I get onto my car and exit from the car-park, the queue has overflowed into five lanes and the cars, busses and taxis are no longer moving. So there I was, caught in the stupid jam in less than 15 minutes. For the next hour, I have only managed to cover a miserable 3.8 KM of my 24.8 KM journey home. *ARGH!* What is @#$%-ing wrong with the roads?!

This morning I had suffered the same traffic woes but what happened today was even more exciting. Already 15 minutes late into the office, I checked-in myself as usual, wishing good-morning to everyone along the way to my cubicle. Powered-on my notebook to check for any Team Foundation Server Beta 3 updates and all a sudden, the siren went off and followed by an announcement...
"Please evacuate both towers IMMEDIATELY!"

What the @#$%?! It was an evacuation drill. I grabbed my handbag and followed my colleagues to the nearest stairwell emergency exit. Holy! We have to take the stairs down from the 30th floor!!! *Can't imagine those on the higher levels* Everyone went down the stairs in an orderly fashion, chatting away and if I'm not mistaken, it took us 30 minutes to reach the basement. *If this is real, we would all be dead.*



When we exited from the basement, there were fire-engines and ambulances everywhere. WoW! I said to myself, "This is so realistic". We head towards the assembly area, around the building's perimeter, with some ladies checking out the latest fashion on display at Isetan and my colleague dropping-off his namecard to his ex-colleague whom we met in the crowd.

At the assembly area, we need to look for our group to report that we have safely 'escaped'. It didn't take long to notice Darien holding the sign and we just group around him. Me and my colleagues were all sweating like mad as we watch more ambulances doing their rounds. They even simulated the situation where some people were fainted or injured. There were paramedics carrying the stretcher and loading the patient into the ambulance.









Not long after that, we noticed that even the cleaners have their union. They all grouped together as well but right after that, they were dispatched to deliver bottled water to us - the role-playing victims. Unfortunately, we can't find the water supply for our company and my impatient colleagues decided to head for Derby Park (Did I spell that correctly?) where there is air-conditioning and a cafe. So we walked there.



After spending nearly an hour there, we took the LRT back to KLCC after confirming that we are allowed to return to our office. What an unproductive and sweaty morning?! But then, this is for our own safety and so, I should not complain so much. Instead, I find the simulation quite impressive since it was rather realistic (to some extend) but I doubt that the ambulance could get to the hospital in such traffic madness in real situations.

Half-a-day gone and darn! Team Foundation Server Beta 3 has not been released to MSDN yet. Right now, both my thighs are aching...