Doors of all public buildings must open outwards.

Comment from Halok
Time March 15, 2010 at 7:40 pm

Actually, that’s a necessity in Florida. Since the doors open outward they won’t swing in during heavy winds (much like a hurricane).

Comment from american
Time June 26, 2010 at 3:14 am

my doors open inward. shut it.

Comment from David
Time July 26, 2010 at 9:45 pm

doors that open inward are a fire-hazard. Look up “mgm grand fire.” Dozens of people died as a panicking crowd kept the people by the doors from opening them inwards. Solution: outward swinging doors.

Comment from Rick
Time September 2, 2010 at 11:59 pm

Most door open outward because there are many elderly people and if they fall in front of the door it makes it much harder to open and help them. Also you may injure the person worse by trying to open the door. The most important reason is so in a hurricane or tropical storm your door won’t be blown in. People should think before calling a law stupid.

Comment from Michael
Time December 2, 2010 at 2:30 pm

This is the case in most of the U.S. (for public buildings). It’s not stupid at all. I’m in Europe now and it’s a mixed bag, but many buildings have existed for hundreds of years and in many cases the doors themselves are historic monuments, so it’s harder to enforce this sort of thing. Sidewalks are also smaller or non-existent, so it would be dangerous to have a large outward-swinging door on some streets, you might smack a pedestrian or even a passing car or motorcycle! But I imagine even if it’s not required by law, most newly constructed or remodeled public buildings apply this principle. It’s for safety, fire safety and otherwise; in a crowded (i.e., public) place, if there is a panic and everyone needs to get out quickly, an outward-swinging door can be opened even when the door is being mobbed.

On the other hand, most homes that I’ve seen in the north and central part of the U.S. have inward-swinging doors; indeed, in Wisconsin, an outward-swinging door would be unusual. I suppose you might be able to justify that by saying that there are no hurricanes, but in fact we do have tornadoes; I think it’s more likely for snow, sleet, etc.; if the door is snowed in, you can still open an inward-swinging door, and closing it won’t drag in snow along with the door. An outward-swinging door in this case doesn’t make as much sense for a private residence.

So, the best solution is applied in each case. Makes perfect sense to me and in fact seems smart

(And I think it’s telling that the New Yorker is the only one who’s worried about someone forcing their way into the home/apartment… Which in any case if it’s an apartment door which opens into a closed hallway, I imagine opens to the inside even in Florida.)

Comment from Hippie
Time December 2, 2010 at 4:07 pm

Of course the New Yorker is worried, they’re a bunch of disarmed pansies.

Comment from Terry Karn ey
Time March 7, 2011 at 8:31 pm

This is not stupid. It’s a public safety issue. In the event of a panic, or an emergency (think of a fire), a press of people trying to shove their way out can, and will, cause the door to be impossible to open.

This can, and has, led to deaths, sometimes (as in the Collinwood School Fire, or the Iroquois Theater Fire) dozens.

Comment from B. Durbin
Time March 8, 2011 at 3:43 am

Dozens? Try hundreds. And look up the Victoria Hall Disaster. Non-emergency situation; doors opened inwards, fixed so that only one child could go through at a time; over one hundred children crushed to death.

Because they were giving out prizes.

Your house door opens inwards because there’s not a crowd situation. Public buildings open outwards because we’ve learned from hard, hard experience. (The Victoria Hall Disaster inspired the implementation of “panic bars”, those push-bar unlatching devices on the insides of doors.)

Comment from Vlad
Time March 8, 2011 at 4:10 pm

Personally, I enjoy not being crushed to death during evacuations, but what do I know?

Comment from alex
Time March 25, 2011 at 2:28 pm

why is that… I think they need to get their heads checked

Comment from cyanmanta
Time January 6, 2012 at 9:26 am

This law makes perfect sense, actually. Several of my ancestors were involved in the Rhoads Opera House Fire of 1908 in Boyertown, PA. The building was designed with doors that only opened inward, and as a result many people died in the fire because they could not open the doors outward once all the fleeing patrons had crowded up against the exits. 170 people died in that fire; entire families were wiped out. Thanks to contemporary fire code standards, such enormous fatalities are almost unheard of nowadays.

From what I understand, my great grandmother – a little girl at the time – was able to escape with the help of a family friend, who helped her get out through a window. Had she tried to get out of the theater the same way everyone else had, I might not even be here today. This was one of many disasters that led to these sorts of fire code regulations becoming the norm.