So I was in a hotel in the UK last year - one of those low storey sprawling hotels where most rooms are on the ground floor. There were several exits to the garden clearly marked as Fire Exit. They were all sealed with yellow zip ties. The zip ties did seem to be "special" ones and had some instructions written on them in small letters, which I could not read without my glasses on. I could not figure out by looking at them how you would break them in the case of a fire, so I reported them to front desk and when they ignored me, to the local fire station (who did reply to my email and said it was "fine"). However I won't stay there again. If I could not figure out how to open those doors in broad daylight, with my glasses on and no panic, then I have no idea how I would have done it in the dark, perhaps forgotten my glasses etc.

Any firefighters on here that can explain why a fire exit would be sealed with zip ties? I realise that being on the ground floor they are probably great for burglary, but surely there are better ways????