EMERGENCY EVACUATION!

So Gary and I are having a good time shopping at a center we seldom go to. Town Center is a good outdoor shopping mall but for some reason we don't go there often even though it is closest to our home.

Today we were finding GREAT bargains and I was very excited because we had just gotten to a store where I had hope I might find nice black dress pants that actually fit. AND they were on sale! I was about to go in the dressing room when I noticed someone walking around store telling people to leave. I thought it was a customer at first and then she said "This is an emergency evacuation. Everyone MUST leave RIGHT now. The entire mall is being evacuated and you have to leave now."

Quickly I found my husband, put down the pants I had hoped to try on, and we headed to the front door with the dozens of other shoppers in this store. As we waited to get out I wondered what the "emergency" was. Was it safe to go out into the parking lot not knowing what was going on? I had no idea but we were given no other choice.

So we headed out and immediately saw that many other stores must have told their shoppers to leave before our store did. The parking lot was grid locked. I was glad to see no one panicking but I still had no idea if there was danger anywhere and what was the best thing to do? Should we walk out away from the building and cross the parking lot to get to our car? Should we stay close to the buildings? Where was the danger? What was the danger?

We chose to move away from the building in case there was a gunman or a bomb threat. We felt we had more choices if we needed to move fast. Looking down the lot in the opposite direction of where we were headed we could see lots of emergency vehicles but they were too far away for us to guess what might be the problem.

We got to our car and fortunately I knew my way around the parking lot and we left quickly and without incident. But I'm still left wondering what the emergency was and was sending us to the parking lot the right thing to do? I may never find out.

Or maybe I will when I go back tomorrow to try on those pants!!!!!