The worst thing that can happen as a result of a tragedy is when nothing happens. When people do not learn from mistakes, when things do not change and when horrific nightmares are so easily forgotten.

Yesterday I was a prisoner. I was locked in my fears, my panic and Aroma Café, a famous café on the Jeddah Corniche. Two of my friends and I went to the café at six o’clock in the evening. We had planned to leave before Isha prayers but by the time we paid and they returned the change to us it was too late. The restaurant closed its doors. As we walked to the front doors we noticed that all the tables were full - with families, couples and groups of ladies. The front door was locked with no less than a large padlock.

Five minutes passed until I found a waiter who told me “Madam it is salat, you cannot leave.” I explained to him that I really had to leave, and it was urgent. He pointed to the far right of the restaurant and told me “you can leave from that door.” As we walked through the tables, I noticed he disappeared into the kitchen. To our frustration, we discovered the side door was locked, also with key non-apparent.

For the next five minutes we searched for any sign of somebody who might have information on how we could exit. A waiter walked out of the kitchen bringing a customer his check. I stepped in his path and explained that I really needed to leave and both exits are locked. He informed me that only Reception has the key and its salat so I have to wait until they re-opened. I was ignored even though I repeatedly told him “I must leave, NOW.”

Realizing that I was getting very angry and I was starting to panic, he left to find somebody else to burden my fury. After another ten minutes a man came with a key to open the side door, he found me tense, very angry and shaking.

Twenty minutes to exit a public place in time of necessity. Twenty minutes to find the sole person who had the key deep in his pocket. All I kept thinking is about the girls in Mecca who were so horrifically trapped within school confines. How quickly would panic have ensued in the café had there been a fire so easily started from the burning coals igniting the hubbly bubblies (argelas) decorating almost every table?

Fourteen young girls die when a school becomes a prison and panic ignites with a fire. Yet, do not so many public places turn into prisons at prayer times? With one person being responsible for the key and not always easily accessible? Today I called Aroma Café and spoke to Atef, the morning manager. I asked him why did I have to suffer the previous night’s anxiety? He politely told me, “during prayers times, nobody enters and nobody leaves.” Three times I repeated to him “no matter what?” He replied twice, “no matter what.” Then the third time he cautiously told me, “if God forbid something bad was to happen then we would handle things differently.” How can things be handled differently when the only person with a key cannot be found? Atef kept reassuring me that “God willing, bad things will never happen.”

Unfortunately, accidents can happen. Having the attitude that “God willing we will be able to counter act any incident” without the proper measures being taken is simply foolish and dangerous.

When I asked Atef on whose authority are Café patrons locked in during Salat times, he informed me it was a dictate from the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. Did the Commission also order that no safety measures be intact? Would a key placed near the door be so difficult? Would an order to have emergency exits be so promiscuous?

The tragedy lies in the fact that the death of fourteen young girls is so easily forgotten, that valuable lessons could not be applied in order to save people from future tragedies. Orders can be so easily dictated to lock doors, what about orders to keep people safe?

All public places should have emergency exits. If doors are to be locked from the inside as well as the outside then keys should be conveniently accessible. Places that offer indoor hubbly bubblies (argelas) should be the first to ensure that if there is an emergency, that patrons can get out quickly and safely. God willing, people will become wiser and not let the lessons of a tragedy die.