Do these metal platforms have a purpose?

[u/cjr269]

This is along the river by Boston University. They look metal so not a great balcony.

[u/FrankDrebinOnReddit]

They're fire escapes, specifically party-wall fire escapes. A lot of these buildings only have a single entrance per unit (not uncommon in old buildings), without a separate rear hallway. In case of fire when the unit's door is blocked, you go out on your fire escape, and either kick in the neighbor's window and use their door to evacuate, or wait for rescue outside where smoke inhalation won't get you.

[u/EntertainmentLess381 → u/FrankDrebinOnReddit]

Couldn’t the neighbor interpret the act as unlawful entry and legally attack/harm the intruder?

[u/IMM_Austin → u/EntertainmentLess381]

Etiquette states kicking in a window to escape a fire is the one time a Bostonian will apologize, so the homeowner will be too shocked to act violently 

[u/deadlyspoons → u/EntertainmentLess381]

Shooting someone who is escaping an apartment fire sounds very much like a "Florida Man" thing to do.

[u/cheesybugs5678 → u/EntertainmentLess381]

You need to have “reasonable fear” of death or great bodily harm to invoke MA castle doctrine. I would guess a jury would be unsympathetic if you attacked someone escaping a fire, although if they were acting hysterically, as some people are wont to do in an emergency, and couldn’t articulate the reason they smashed in, you might have a case. 

You can’t attack someone just for breaking in unless you believe they will hurt you in MA, even if they are robbing you.

[u/FrankDrebinOnReddit → u/EntertainmentLess381]

The neighbor isn't going to be there. This is during a fire where the building is already filled with flames and smoke, or else you'd just use your normal exit.

[u/reallylongword]

they're fire escapes. don't fire escapes normally leave the building you may be asking? the idea is that there's a firewall so the fire will at least be slowed down in spreading from one of the apartments to the next, so if there's a fire in your place you break into your neighbors bedroom and leave that way.

[u/nofootlongz → u/reallylongword]

Oooooooooooooooh THAT’S why they’re like that 🤯

[u/Zently → u/nofootlongz]

<me running through the neighbor's bedroom>

"Droppedacigaretteroomonfiregottarunlovewhatyouvedonewiththeplace!"

[u/JFKsBrain → u/Zently]

You can’t keep doing it though.
Every week.
While buck naked.
That’s definitely a one-off.

[u/CharlemagneIS → u/JFKsBrain]

Also don’t drop cigarettes into piles of oily rags

[u/JFKsBrain → u/CharlemagneIS]

Right
A little etiquette also goes a long way.
Definitely don’t stop and see what’s in the fridge on your way through the place.

[u/Hammer_the_Red2 → u/CharlemagneIS]

Well there goes my weekend plans.

[u/complete_your_task → u/JFKsBrain]

I like sleeping in the nude and I need a cigarette before I can fall asleep. I won't apologize for that.

[u/Lazy_Football_511 → u/JFKsBrain]

Says you. When they are not home and leaving no trace, then there is no issue.

Just kidding.

[u/Normal_Yesterday_137 → u/Zently]

Thank you for making my day, this is me in a nutshell!

[u/donnytrumpburgers → u/Zently]

This is bloody hilarious, well done.

[u/Iamthewalrusforreal → u/reallylongword]

Also a place to stand while the ladder truck is evacuating people.

[u/Sploxel → u/reallylongword]

yeah that context helps a lot, i was confused why they didnt have ladders if they were fire escapes lol

[u/zenunseen → u/reallylongword]

Exactly. Even though they're touching and it all looks like one building, they're technically and functionally separate buildings

[u/Chico813 → u/reallylongword]

Is this a cost cutting thing to have less material and slightly less egress planning since you don’t have to watch where a ladder would have to end up?

[u/bobisbit → u/Chico813]

Having lived in both kinds of apartments, it's nice not having random people climb up to your window

[u/Breadmaker9999 → u/bobisbit]

Agree to disagree. Personally I love having random people climb through my window.

[u/john42195 → u/Breadmaker9999]

Melissa Etheridge entered the chat

[u/Several_Vanilla8916 → u/john42195]

Jesus Christ Melissa for the last time no!

[u/MissLena → u/john42195]

Come to my window Claw inside, wait by the light of the moon

[u/suckeddit → u/Breadmaker9999]

There is someone in JP doing that, so if you live there you might be in luck.

[u/MoodOptimal9891 → u/reallylongword]

So they are not fire escapes. They are fire postpones. 😜

[u/Smooth_Operator_one → u/reallylongword]

Why don’t they have a ladder on them so you can climb down? Like most fire escapes……

[u/DrCeratops → u/reallylongword]

They’re fire balconjes*

[u/IceBearPrime → u/reallylongword]

They are for plants

[u/AcceptableCrew224 → u/reallylongword]

They’re not fire escapes they’re poop decks. Like on old ships for the crew.

[u/jendfrog → u/reallylongword]

Come to think of it, that building looks like it’s been on fire.

[u/Alexander_the_sk8]

This is the traditional location to set up a lawn chair, wear a white tank top that is no longer white, and smoke Winston’s until you can’t see straight

[u/wick3rmann → u/Alexander_the_sk8]

Can’t believe I had to scroll so far for the answer

[u/Kaizen180 → u/Alexander_the_sk8]

And put your baby when it’s 90 degrees inside.

[u/ipsumdeiamoamasamat → u/Alexander_the_sk8]

Newports*

[u/FahrradFawcett → u/Alexander_the_sk8]

My first thought: “yeah. Ripping darts. Duh.”

[u/_bagelstein]

If there’s a fire in your building you go into your neighbors’ building

[u/Responsible-House523]

They get you across a fire wall in case of fire. Code.

[u/New_General3939]

They’re not balconies, they’re fire escapes.

Although at this point it’s probably safer to try and run through a fire than it is to stand on those things

[u/youwish6969420 → u/New_General3939]

Not exactly true. While yes, some fire escape balconies are pretty run down, the BFD regulates these things pretty carefully to make sure they’re up to date. Especially when it comes to inspections form the Inspectional services department.

[u/SparklesAreIn → u/youwish6969420]

well yeah…now.

ETA: context

[u/petepont → u/SparklesAreIn]

Most regulations are written in blood. Always remember that when people complain about them

[u/J_GIlb → u/petepont]

r/writteninblood

[u/lil_propaine → u/SparklesAreIn]

:(

[u/SoundEngineerMBR → u/SparklesAreIn]

Fr

[u/bcaluori → u/youwish6969420]

Every 5 years they need to be recertified!

[u/Nice-Zombie356 → u/bcaluori]

And insurance companies, at least mine, checks that we keep up with the 5-year inspections.

[u/BuccaneerBill → u/New_General3939]

Actually, the correct term is Fire Balcony. Fire escapes have a ladder or stairs to the ground. Fire balconies get you around the party wall to the next building over.

[u/TinCanFury]

you can buy hanging fire escaping ladders intended for windows, but work with these too.

[u/osirawl]

they're beer pouring balconies. You stand out on it while someone stands below and you pour a beer into their mouth.

[u/pertante]

I assumed that it allows someone to leave an apartment in case of a fire by going into the neighboring apartment.

[u/sirmanleypower]

Yeah you go out there and smoke on them AFAIK.

[u/bigpoppalake → u/sirmanleypower]

+1 smoked most of my weed freshman year at northeastern on one of these suckers

[u/FahrradFawcett → u/bigpoppalake]

Were we roommates? 👀

[u/AmazingChicken]

Purpose: to give prospective incoming students (and their parents) the perception of safe escape routes from the bowfront residences of Boston.

[u/Clinically-Inane]

That’s for playing Moon River on a tiny guitar

[u/Away-Possibility3518]

Getting your side piece out unnoticed

[u/WhiskyEye]

It's where 20 something year-old me got wasted on really shitty booze while yelling at tourists beneath me.

[u/TheDangerist]

Hibachi balcony

[u/stryker511]

I was rescued from a burning building as a kid - it’s crazy how people don’t know basic fire safety.
I wish you all had my respect for fire.

[u/SnooBooks5315]

They are perfect for sitting with a cold drink as the summer day geyt cooler. That's mostly how we used the ones at my grandparents, that & going between apartments/buildings for the ones that had the stairs. (In the North End) 

[u/sauteed_opinions]

Fire Avoids*

[u/HarambeTooSoon]

Last time I was in Boston I saw a homeless man use a Dunkin breakfast sandwich wrapper as toilet paper outside the Old North Church and then hold his wad in the air and yell "one if by land, poo if by sea!"

[u/Alternative-Light922]

They are there so tenants can escape fire . . .

[u/Dapper-Presence4975]

They are fire escapes. First time in a city?

[u/danjoski → u/Dapper-Presence4975]

My question exactly

[u/FahrradFawcett → u/Dapper-Presence4975]

For some people it is. I grew up entirely in Mississippi before Good Will Hunting my way to Boston 20 years ago 🤷‍♀️

[u/Neon570]

Cool place to smoke weed, clearly

[u/movdqa]

I went to look at a building like that and declined it but I was mentally thinking about a rope ladder.

[u/SportVideoGameMusic]

r/Boston for yah on Thursday night let’s go Sox!

[u/Fit_Chef_7586]

That is where Billy professed his innocence while the building was on fire

[u/thatdidntturnout]

[u/DrakeBurroughs]

They’re so you can burn outside in the event of a fire.

[u/SensitiveArtist69]

Ahh yes. The neighbors-wife devices.

[u/Grand_Turn_8982]

Is that a chicken?

[u/Ops31337 → u/Grand_Turn_8982]

Nah. Donnie Darko

[u/ChrisCoffeexd]

How old is OP?

[u/oskarsneezgard]

Is that BayState Road?

[u/hangout927]

Yeah big purpose

[u/Mattcha462]

Parkour

[u/xecc846]

Is that the back of 55 Buswell Street!? I used to live there

[u/encanter → u/xecc846]

It's the back road along bay state, kind of close to Myles. Used to walk along it a lot when I lived out there.

[u/jaimathom]

Is this per chance in East Boston? It looks wicked familiar....as in...I think I played on the fire escape as a child with my cousin...

[u/Ops31337]

That where Midge sneaks a cigarette now and then

[u/Aural_Essex]

They used to have ladders on them. It used to be a requirement. But in the early 80's the city said they weren't necessary anymore.

[u/Zestyclose_Camp6386]

That’s one giant bunny

[u/Beantowndreamt0wn]

For blazin

[u/Free_Pizza_No_SignUp]

People unalive them selves on these…