Here I am, in defense of scooters in the halls.
Yes, scooters can be an 'Obstacle' in the hall, though they don't really BLOCK the hall. The fire code says NO, but is this really such a problem? On the one hand, parking scooters in the halls is against the fire code. However, our society is becoming more politically correct, and no one wants to tell a Disabled person, 'No.' People want to comply with the, "American's with Disabilities Act." Also, this behaviour towards disabled people isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it reinforces the fact that life is a series of compromises. Parking scooters in the hall is just one of those things that is technically prohibited, but allowed because, though it causes one problem, it helps other problems. Besides, I can tell you that if people park them in their rooms, it can take a minute or two to get them out of the room, because they are hard to maneuver in the tight spaces of the room. So, now, what happens when there is a fire and the Disabled person has the scooter in their room. Are they supposed to die in the fire, while trying to get their scooters out? Because they parked them in the room to comply with other people? Why do you deny them the chance to run out of their room and escape on their scooter?
So, that being said, are they REALLY that much of a fire hazard? Blocking egress? I mean, come on. Walk around them. And if there is a fire and you are crawling on the floor, then CRAWL around them. How much longer is it going to take? A quarter second? It would really only be a POSSIBLE problem if you were walking down the hall to escape the fire, and had your hand on the wall to guide you because you couldn't see, due to the smoke. But once you ran into the scooter, you would know what it was, and go around it. And if you can't see because the smoke is that thick, you should probably be on the floor crawling, anyways. Besides which - a word to the wise - you should plan ahead and always know where ALL of the nearby exits are, and think about it. "If there was a fire over there, where would I go? And if there was a fire over here, which exit can I get to?" And while you are at it, you might also think, "Oh, and there might be some scooters in the hall. I know this because I can see them. So, if there is a fire in the building, what do I need to avoid the scooters?" And, one more thing, a hallway in a hotel is NOT an auditorium. It is not nearly as crowded. People will not be trampling all over each other to get out. So a scooter is unlikely to seriously obstruct the flow.
I do not currently use a scooter, but I have had multiple surgeries on my knees and was even in a wheelchair for 10 weeks, without being able to walk at all, after one of my surgeries. I eventually got both knees replaced, because the other surgeries weren't enough, and during the meantime, I was unable to walk very far. So, I don't need them now, but I understand people who do. And sometimes it isn't an orthopedic problem. I just went to the grocery store with my wife and she used a scooter, one of the few times she has ever done so, because she has passed out twice in the last week or so. She wanted to go to the store, but she rightly judged that she might end up on the floor.
Anyway, as they say, there are two sides to every story. I realize that scooters COULD be a problem. But they generally will not REALLY be a problem, and they could even be helpful.
