Whenever you visit a old 14th century fort, there is always a section in the fort, a partially collapsed wall, or a stone bridge, or an overhanging arch, around which a warning sign is posted, telling you that, this is a dangerous structure, way past it’s validity and may collapse at any time, so better stay away from it.

Do not go near !!
Do not go near !!
Similarly, at Crescent high, there was a structure..
made of iron, resembling a ‘L’ shaped staircase, connecting the ground floor to the first floor, and the stairs were made of wood, encased in a iron frame’…
No the structure was not crumbling, solid iron could withstand another 50yrs..
yet the structure was deemed un-safe..

WHY?
Because, of the wood in the stairs had become old, and smooth, and it had lost the ability to provide a grip, and hence there were chances of somebody slipping…

actually, somebody did slip on the those stairs, and then it was realized that it was risky..it was more of a post thought, than a pre-thought..

anyways, there was no warning sign posted for this danger
there was no, floor is slippery, yellow caution signage
no skull with cross bones with a lighting sign besides it..
Crescent had a unique solution to it… highly ingenious…during the busiest hour of the day (lunch time)… Patel T sir had to finish his lunch early,, and was posted at the top of the staircase on first floor to dissuade the use of the staircase…
The ingenious part of the solution, was not that a teacher had to hurry his lunch to be posted in time, nor was the part that every day the same students had to be dissuaded, as if telling them once was not enough…
The real ingenuity was in the fact that… a Silly Student, used to come up from the ground floor, take on the slippery wood, manage to reach the first floor, safe and sound, only to be heckled by PT sir, and at times even get a slap on the wrists for it.. so that next time he does not do it… YET he was forced to back to ground floor, from the same stairs (wooden and slippery), and asked to take the alternative stairs !!
Why!!! I think that the risk of you slipping is at least twice while going down the stairs than coming up the stairs… yet… why was the student asked to go down the same stairs !!!
Why!!! not put a rod or something to block entry at both top and bottom.. Why place a teacher to man the crossing..

iron_staricase_at_crescent_high_school_pune

And above all, why!! not change the wood on the stair flooring to something non slippery

 

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