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Apple Store in Amsterdam Evacuated, Likely After iPad Battery Overheated
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Who said it was being repaired? It could have been on the shop floor, in a cupboard, out the back, in a box..need I go on?
It certainly is. But then, a more incendiary term would only inflame emotions.
Seriously, if you have a location crowded with members of the general public, the staff often uses code words in order to avoid a general panic. The security/public safety staff at a stadium or airport has a whole list of such code words. Each conveys specific meaning and triggers specific procedures.
In this specific example someone announces, "Thermal event." The staff knows exactly what's happening, and they take well-rehearsed steps to address the specific problem. (They bury the thing in sand, isolating and dampening the runaway chemical reaction while it runs its course. Traditional fire extinguishers are ineffective for this kind of thing - they're designed to temporarily deny oxygen to open flames.) Staff can then evacuate the area without risking the panic that might ensue if they'd simply shouted "FIRE!"
Since according to the article it was never on fire, yelling such wouldn't have made sense in any event.
this article reeks of tabloid quality. there's no details beyond the store was evacuated, which is simply standard policy if a battery is even suspected of venting. but there are no details. was it a modified iPad with a 3rd party battery, was it damaged and
actually yes it is rare. especially in a non modified device. although we have no idea if this particular iPad was non modified at this point.
swelling batteries are more common because that is the primary reaction. the batteries are made to swell in part to alert that there is an issue and in part so that they don't rupture.
actually yes it is rare. especially in a non modified device. although we have no idea if this particular iPad was non modified at this point.
swelling batteries are more common because that is the primary reaction. the batteries are made to swell in part to alert that there is an issue and in part so that they don't rupture.
And where were you when half of the people in here were denying the facts or defending apple or even worse accusing the users having the issues you mentioned ?
A thermal event is classic corporate speak
It’s the correct term.
If you think you can coin a more effective phrase that would be 100% comprehensible to store patrons as well as staff, please suggest it.
Yeah, and a business risks really, really big lawsuits if something like this happens and they didn't have a response plan and/or the staff wasn't trained how to respond. That's as true for a crowded retail store as it is for a sports stadium. It's also very likely that local law requires a response plan and that the staff conduct periodic safety drills.
This is not a "normal retail shop." It's also a repair shop that handles lithium ion batteries. There are known risks to handling lithium ion batteries that show up in airline and package delivery regulations as well as fire safety laws. Ask a firefighter about it, if you must.
This is not about a coverup. The store staff, hearing the "trigger phrase" undoubtedly said something like, "Ladies and gentlemen, please move to the exits in a calm and orderly manner." While the public aren't exactly sheep, they don't have to know the specific reason for evacuating until they are safe.
Or do you think that people need to know why they're being asked to evacuate, so they can decide for themselves whether the situation is grave enough to require evacuation? "No, it's just a leaking battery, I'll stay right here." What should the store staff do then, obtain a signed injury waiver from that stubborn individual, "I hereby hold Apple blameless for my decision to stay in the store?"
Based on this and the followup article here at MacRumors, the store staff did the right thing. No injuries, no panic. Only inconvenience for the people in the store when they had to be ushered out to the sidewalk. I'll guarantee that the fire department did not complain that they were called to respond. Still, in some people's mind Apple can do no good.
Telling an average member of the public that there has been a thermal event would result in a puzzled look.
If the BBC had announced last year that there had been a thermal event at Grenfell Towers there would again be puzzled looks.
Not everyone goes on corporate training.
If I was the driver of a car that stopped due to the engine overheating and I told my wife that there had been a thermal event, she would ask what I meant.
In an emergency you don't have to tell people why they are evacuating, you just have to get them safely out the door. What is more important is mobilizing those trained to address emergencies in order to have an effective evacuation. If the on-site emergency responders understand what is afoot, they can do their jobs in an effective manner.
Later, when the BBC is relating the story to the general public, it's the reporter's job to explain it all in layman's terms. When I think of all the times I've seen jargon-laden interviews with police, fire, and other officials that then needed interpretation by the reporter... But again, who cares if a firefighter or cop uses jargon while dealing with an emergency, so long as they deal effectively with that emergency?
Emergency evacuations don't require "informed consent." They require trust that their fellow human beings are interested in their health and safety. Now, if you distrust everything Apple does, perhaps you must also distrust an Apple employee who says, "It's an emergency, please exit the store immediately." Maybe they don't care a whit for you, and only care whether the company is sued afterwards. What does it matter what the motive, so long as you escape injury by following their instructions?
To use your example, once you've stopped your overheating car on the side of the road, you have time to tell your wife anything you wish, in as many words as necessary. If you fail to communicate effectively, she'll demand a better explanation.
But you suggested that "thermal event" is readily understood by everyone, which is tosh
But you suggested that "thermal event" is readily understood by everyone, which is tosh
Sorry if you misunderstood. I made no such claim. My point is that the term is meaningful to store staff - the people who need to respond appropriately to such an event.
No, I don't think it would be understood by everyone. It's specialized jargon, like so much other specialized jargon in just about any field of endeavor that the public is not likely to recognize or understand. The public is not expected to understand and has no need to understand. All the public needs to understand is, "Please move towards the exits."
That's fair enough. I mistakenly thought when you asked
"If you think you can coin a more effective phrase that would be 100% comprehensible to store patrons as well as staff, please suggest it".
that you thought "thermal event" was effective
The effective phrase for the public/clientele in situations like this is the fire alarm being turned on and people being asked to leave
In any case, I don't understand why people jumped to the conclusion that the phrase "thermal event" was used by the store staff, and some posters either criticised it or defended it.
Nothing more needs said about this.