Trapped in Lab

Every night from 19-19:30, the building I work in is locked. No one can come in or out. The reason: because its an eastern European country? I have no idea. Some lady always sits in the front desk and watches us come in and out of the laboratory. She doesn't do anything but watch people buzz themselves in. Perhaps this job is a relic of communism where every one had a job but not everybody worked? Anyways, I mention this strange fact because I forgot that the lab was closed from 7-7:30 and tried to leave at 7:10 to meet some friends downtown at 7:45. Now I'm stuck in lab with no chance of making my 7:45 meeting and no way of telling the people I will be 15-30 minutes late (they don't have a cell phone and no one is answering the phone at the hostel).

Woe is me!