Yes, really!

Those of you who follow my on facebook got a hint of last night’s adventure when I posted this from my iPad shortly after 6 pm last night:

“Omg! I am locked inside the Ben Franklin post office. No one is picking up at dc police non-emergency number. Help!!!”

Yes, you all really enjoyed that. My sister is the only person who called me to see if she could help.

I feel obligated to include a picture in this post

(even though that isn't really the actual post office, but the Old Post Office Pavillion next door)

It was most definitely a freaky situation, and I still can’t really believe that it happened. Here’s the full story.

Some time between 5:30 pm and 6:00 pm last night, I entered the lobby of the Ben Franklin post office in order to mail Fathers Day cards to my stepfather and grand-stepfather. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this particular branch, located on

Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

at

13^th Street

, it is a large post office that is connected to two office buildings. It has a grand, marble lobby/hallway that stretches between the two buildings, and behind that lobby, behind glass doors, is the actual post office. There are also mailboxes and a ton of post office boxes which are accessible from the lobby. In many post offices I have been to, the mailboxes and post office boxes remain accessible when the post office is closed, so I had no reason to think that they would locking me in anytime soon.

When I arrived, the branch was closed, as it is only open until 5 pm. However, the lobby was open and I sat down on the set of three steps in front of the mailbox to write out my cards, address, and mail them. I put my cards in the box and having some time left to kill before meeting my friend for happy hour, I sat back down on the stairs and read my iPad for a little while. Several other customers came and went while I was there. Around 6:10 I heard from my friend that she was on her way and I walked to the opposite side of the lobby to exit. Imagine my surprise when I found the doors dead-bolted, with me inside. I stayed calm, and walked to the opposite side of the lobby, thinking that they must use the other set of doors for exit at that hour. Nope. Those were locked, too.

At the same time, a lady and her daughter were approaching the glass doors. There was a small gap between the doors, and the lady asked me if this was a working post office. I explained that it is during working hours, but it is now closed and I was locked inside. I asked her to look around and see if she could find any police officers. While she went to look, I looked up the police non-emergency number and dialed. I got a recording and was on endless hold.

I checked back in with the lady and she was unable to find anyone. After a few minutes she sought my permission to leave and of course I told her to go. There wasn’t much she could do for me at that point. Meanwhile, I failed to find anyone around the entrances to either office building (on two different sides of the long lobby), and couldn’t use the elevators.

Finally, I was able to find a corridor behind the lobby of one of the buildings. I found an emergency exit, but since it said it was alarmed, I was hesitant to use it (though I would have if I needed to). I kept walking and located a janitor, who, without saying a single word to me, led me to another emergency exit and let me out.

The whole thing incident was a maximum of 10-15 minutes long, but of course it felt like much longer. What I can’t figure out is how the heck it happened? I mean, really!? How does someone get locked in a post office? And it isn’t like I was hiding in a corner somewhere. The whole thing is quite ridiculous. 

I would really like to exaggerate the story, but that is it. I made it to happy hour on time, and by that time I really needed a drink (and I don’t really drink). 

Until next time….