Is Your Favorite Mission Bar a Death Trap?

Mission Loc@l goes into Blondie’s Bar and No Grill, where the stated maximum capacity is 49 people, and they count 149 heads on a Saturday night. Apparently 40% of Mission bars are just like Blondie's—with a legal maximum capacity of 49 stated on a placard inside—but the SF Fire Department (SFFD) says policing bars in this category isn't in their job description. Bar owners can't apply to have more than 49 allowed inside, unless they have more than one exit, and many of them wouldn't turn a profit if they stayed under 50, anyway.

Lucky for the bars and the people who like to drink in them, SFFD only comes by if someone calls to complain. And no one seems to be worried about potential death by fire from getting trapped in a crowded bar. Better make it a double.

· Maximum Capacity Means Nada at Popular Bars [Mission Loc@l]