Ants show that emergency exits can work better when they’re obstructed

That's interesting. I once took a sociology class about the behaviour of panicking crowds and we covered exactly this phenomenon, that is, if you put a pillar in front of the emergency exit (without completely blocking it, of course), panicking people can get out faster. It seems counterintuitive but it's been shown numerous times.

I remember watching once a TV show (perhaps in the old days of Discovery Channel) about experiments with obstacles put in front of elevators, so people wouldn't clutter in front of it and IIRC they have found the same thing back then. I wish I had magic skills to find a video of that show.

It would seem to me that the visual obstruction of the column causes as much as the physical obstruction. An interesting twist on the experiement would be to construct a clear obstruction that people could see through - and see if that impeded the flow because of impatience at being nearly outside.<p>Also I wonder if a fake wall with 5 exit doors in it (close to each other), that obscured the one <i>actual</i> exist would speed up flow - presuming people selecting the general area of the exit first, then the detail of the exit point second. If there were 5 single doors it would separate the flow to the actual choke point, but without producing the same type of barricade.<p>If this research turned out to be widely applicable, I wonder if placing airline staff in front of a door would speed the exit of people through it?<p>I also suspect there is an optimum shape for the obstruction, and I expect that it isn&#x27;t round.<p>All interesting stuff.

That&#x27;s actually pretty much common knowledge with experts studying people flows and emergency evacuations.<p>If you&#x27;re interested in the subject The New Yorker has a fascinating read on the subject (CRUSH POINT - When large crowds assemble, is there a way to keep them safe? [2011]) which makes this argument. (Warning! It&#x27;s long)

Interesting application. The idea&#x27;s not new: wasn&#x27;t the central thingy in the concourse in Grand Central Station found to have exactly this effect? Without it, people dither and take longer to cross a clear space - paradoxical, but that&#x27;s science for you.

Simulate the scenario with water in a pool with a tiny pipe opening at the bottom if the pool leading down. The water will shoot out with a high velocity this means the pressure in the pipe will be higher than pressure in the pool. If you apply this analogy to people and exits, it means that the people directly in the exit hallway( the pipe ) will experience a high change in speed, and since people aren&#x27;t fluid, friction, thus making their escape more difficult.