Got locked inside the old Fountain Place Mall at midnight last Friday

I was taking pictures of the empty food court when I heard the security gates slam down behind me. Worked for 20 minutes to find a side door that still opened, but every exit was sealed tight. Ended up climbing through a busted ceiling panel in the back hallway and dropping into the parking garage below. Has anyone else been trapped in a closed mall, or just me?

2 comments

2 Comments

chen.jade25d agoMost Upvoted

Three years ago I got stuck in a mall bathroom after hours (don't ask, it's a long and frankly embarrassing story about a raccoon). The lights went out at 11 PM and I had to use my phone flashlight to find my way through the storage corridors. Ended up setting off a motion-activated sprinkler system and got drenched before I found an employee exit. So yeah, I totally get the panic of being trapped in a closed mall, but at least you didn't have to explain to security why you were soaking wet and smelled like burnt popcorn from the break room microwave. Your ceiling panel escape sounds way more dignified than my clumsy shuffle through a janitor's closet.

leo60325d ago

Honestly, I'm gonna play devil's advocate here and say this whole thing sounds like a you problem. The mall closes at a certain time for a reason, everyone knows that. You were sneaking around taking pictures when you should've been heading out with the last customers. Those security gates didn't just fall down on their own, they were probably on a timer that's been the same for years. Ngl, climbing through a ceiling sounds dangerous and could've gotten you seriously hurt or sued the mall if you fell. Tbh, I think the real issue is you ignoring the basic rules of being in a public space after hours.