AS FLT ATTENDANT ADJUSTS A TWISTED DOOR WARNING STRAP THE DOOR OPENS AND THE SLIDE DEPLOYS DURING TAXI.

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WE HAD BEEN TAXIING FOR APPROX 4-5 MINS; WHEN THE EVAC SIGNAL SOUNDED. I STOPPED THE ACFT; AND WITHIN A FEW SECONDS; THE FLT ATTENDANT AT DOOR 1L RPTED THAT AS SHE ADJUSTED THE RED 'WARNING' STRAP; THE SLIDE DEPLOYED. I THEN MADE A PA ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE PAX TO REMAIN SEATED. THE #1 ENG WAS SHUT DOWN; AND WE WERE LATER TOWED TO THE GATE. THE EVAC SIGNAL IS NOT 'DISTINCTIVE' ENOUGH-THE INITIAL THOUGHT WAS THAT IT WAS A LAVATORY SMOKE DETECTOR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CALLBACK TO RPTR REVEALED THAT THE ACFT HAD LEFT THE GATE 3 MINS PRIOR TO EVENT. AFTER ACFT WAS STOPPED; THE FLT ATTENDANT X SAID 'DO NOT EVAC' AND WENT ON TO EXPLAIN THAT SHE WAS SEATED BY 1L AND NOTED THE RED STRAP WAS TWISTED. SHE ONLY TRIED TO UNTWIST IT AND THE DOOR AND SLIDE DEPLOYED. THE COMPANY PRESSED CHARGES AND HELD A HEARING. AT THAT HEARING; IT WAS DEMONSTRATED THAT SHE COULD NOT; FROM HER SEAT WITH HER HARNESS ON; EVEN REACH THE HANDLE. A STUDY BY THE AIR CARRIER MAINT AND ENGINEERING DEPARTMENTS; HOWEVER; STATED THAT THIS WAS AN IMPOSSIBILITY; TO DEPLOY THE CHUTE WITHOUT TURNING THE HANDLE 90 DEGS AND EXERTING AT LEAST 15 POUNDS OF PRESSURE ON THE HANDLE. CAPT RPTR TOLD OF 1 OTHER INSTANCE; DIFFERENT ACFT; DIFFERENT DAY; THAT WHILE PAX WERE DEPLANING FROM DOOR 1R; THE DOOR HANDLE POPPED OUT OR UP OUT OF THE LOCKED POS ON DOOR 1L WITHOUT BEING TOUCHED. CAPT THEN WENT ON TO STATE THAT THIS ACFT HAS ANOTHER DOOR PROBLEM; THAT OF 1R 'GAPPING' OR NOT STAYING SEATED IN ITS LOCKED POS AND ACTUALLY MOVING UP AND IN ON TKOF. THE 1 INSTANCE HE QUOTED WAS WHEN THIS OCCURRED; THE FLC RETURNED TO THE ARPT FOR CORRECTION OF THE DOOR. HE MAINTAINS THAT IT IS A FUNCTION OF THE DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE; WHY IT DOES THIS HE ISN'T CERTAIN. THE DOOR GAPS ABOUT 3 TO 4 INCHES. RPTS OF THIS FROM OTHER CREWS FROM INITIAL RPT. THE DOOR THAT WAS USED FOR PAX BOARDING AT ORD WAS 2L. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF THE 1L DOOR NOT BEING CHKED FOR PROPER HANDLE POS. THAT DOES NOT EXPLAIN THE LATER INCIDENT AT DEN OR THE PROBLEM WITH 1R GAPPING PROBLEMS. RPTR NOT HAPPY WITH ALARM FOR EVAC. NOT DISTINCTIVE ENOUGH. HE FURTHER RPTED THAT ACR HAD PUT OUT A LOW PROFILE LETTER REF THE DOOR SITUATION ON STRAP OP AND CAUTIONS IN DOOR HANDLE ACTIVATION. NOT A BULLETIN AND STRICTLY LOW KEY AS IF IT WERE JUST A HUMAN FACTOR ISSUE.