Keys, Please...Get Me Out Of Here!

During class the doors leading to the stairwell are locked, then the doors are unlocked between classes. This has created a tardy issue. One tardy equals out-of-school suspension, and it also means you will not be permitted to attend the Prom or any senior activities. On my way to 7th period, a huge crowd formed on the third floor in the stairwell. "What the heck is going on?" I slowly made my way up to the front of the crowd and found the doors locked with only 1 minute left to get to class. Students were banging on the door like victims of the Holocaust. A fellow student came to our rescue and opened the door from the other side. The hall monitors were walking the halls and telling us to hurry to class or we would receive a tardy. Honestly, didn't any of the hall monitor's hear us banging? The classroom doors were a blur as I ran as fast as I could down the hall. I almost tripped before entering my classroom. I heard the bell ring. "OH, NO! Please, please, please don't give me a tardy." I just bought my ticket to Prom. Thankfully, I have an understanding teacher...I have to wonder about the fire code, though. Isn't the stairwell the way out if a fire occurs? Do they expect us to start jumping from the third floor, in panic, if something does happen? Who's making these crazy decisions? I'm becoming more afraid of our administration than the 'school's arson'. How about you?...but that's High School.