[JohnBrowdie]

15 stories at, say, 12.5 feet per story, and allowing for the loss of usable length due to the knots at either end of the sheet, would require something on the order of 40 bed sheets to construct a rope of that length.

now, the question; how did the guards (public employee union members, no doubt) manage to NOT notice 40 bedsheets being gathered, collected in one place, and/or missing?

or were they just paid off?

[Casie]

I was thinking the same thing! Maybe they ripped the sheets down the middle?

[CharlesWayneCT]

This is a problem with passive security as well. How do you NOT NOTICE guys rapelling down a wall? Well, if you have no eyes assigned to watch that wall, because you are certain your passive means will work.

It actually ties into the shooting at the school, because the school has passive methods of protection — laws making things illegal, locks on doors, lockdown procedures. No active security measures, like a person who can repel a gunman.

[bgill]

how did the guards (public employee union members, no doubt) manage to NOT notice 40 bedsheets being gathered

I've been wondering the same. Plus, once you manage to get them out of the laundry room and cause a miscount in inventory (which is regularly done), how do you hide 40 bedsheets in a tiny little cell? Then, how do you get out the window which should be reinforced? Either there were major failures within the system and the building structure or someone got an early Christmas stocking filled with $$$$.

[GonzoGOP]

Now, the question; how did the guards (public employee union members, no doubt) manage to NOT notice 40 bedsheets being gathered, collected in one place, and/or missing?

Hypothesis;
Two men, two sheets per bed. Rip each sheet into 10 strips. Tie together to get the required length. They did this sort of thing on Myth Busters once.

[Fresh Wind]

now, the question; how did the guards (public employee union members, no doubt) manage to NOT notice 40 bedsheets being gathered, collected in one place, and/or missing?

or were they just paid off?

Close. The bedsheet ladder was just a diversion. The paid off a guard who snuck them out in a laundry hamper.

[Moltke]

40 bedsheets being gathered, collected in one place

"Oh, this? This is just my turban. Yes, I have a rather large head. You got a problem with that, pal?"