Date: 201406
Local time of day: 0001-0600
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Light: Dawn
Aircraft: B737-400
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Taxi
Aircraft component: Escape Slide
Component problem: Malfunctioning
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Flight Attendant (On Duty)
Reporter qualification: Flight Attendant Current
Human factors: Confusion; Distraction
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe
Detector: Person Flight Attendant
When detected: Aircraft In Service At Gate
Result: General Maintenance Action
Contributing factors: Aircraft; Human Factors
Primary problem: Aircraft

Narrative: Upon arrival at the gate; I disarmed both R1 and L1 doors. L1 Main door had been a struggle for me at both ZZZ and ZZZ1 Stations when trying to open the door. I had to use a lot of strength to open [door] which is really not normal for me. I noticed that R1 Door [Stowage] hooks [on the slide cover] for the Girt Bar were not very tight and worried that at any time that Girt Bar would fall out. I notified the Mechanic in ZZZ1 and he said that they can't be tight. I said that they should at least be tighter; since all I had to do was use one finger to knock out the Girt Bar; which I didn't feel was safe.  When I opened up the L1 Door; I noticed they weren't really that tight as well; but proceeded to put the Girt Bar in its [Stowage] hooks. I know that I had done it correctly because I had to move the material over to properly place the Girt Bar in its hooks. Once again I struggled to open the door and once I did; I heard a click and a gush. The Customer Service Representative also noticed I was having trouble opening the door as well and heard the same exact thing. He looked down and saw the slide beginning to deploy and that's when I noticed that the click I heard was the Girt Bar falling back into its latches on the aircraft. I immediately stopped trying to open the door and contacted the Captain and he notified the mechanics. The mechanics came and were able to push the slide back in its bustle and then proceeded to completely remove the slide from it. We were then able to open the door completely and we were able to let the passengers deplane. I heard this same exact gush in ZZZ and thankful that the incident didn't occur in ZZZ. I do not know exactly how this incident happened. I did everything correctly and still the Girt Bar fell out of its hooks and back into the [floor] latches upon opening the door. I did have such a hard time opening that door that I had to use so much body strength; that maybe it loosened the Girt Bar from its latches; causing them to fall out.  [Recommend] the hooks for that Girt Bar need to be tighter. I understand we don't need them so tight that we can't even pull them out; but they shouldn't be so loose that anyone can knock them out with a slight touch. Disarming. Slide fell out of Bustle.




Synopsis: A Flight Attendant reports that Stowage hooks on the Escape slide Girt Bars at Forward Cabin Doors L-1 and R-1 on a 737-400 aircraft were not very tight and allowed the Girt Bars to be easily dislodged from their hooks. Door L-1 Girt Bar had re-attached itself to the floor brackets during door opening procedures.