The only way to deploy an airliner Emergency Chute is if the Slide is "Armed." You may recall hearing a cabin call to set doors/exits for departure, or arm slides-usually when the plane is pushing back from the gate. Likewise on arrival something to the effect of; set doors for arrival, disarm doors, or set slides to "safe" etc. Any airliner that is parked, either at the gate, or the hangar, will have the slides disarmed. If a slide is mistakenly deployed, depending on the plane, it's several thousand to to replace the spent slide and replace it. Not a good thing to do in today's job market!
All the Boeing's have slide packs in the doors. There's usually a girt bar on the base of the slide pack that attaches to the floor of the cabin when the slide is armed. When they're dis-armed, the girt bar gets removed from the floor latches and usually snaps to the bottom of the slide pack where it's out of the way. Some slides are armed simply by the process of attaching the bar, while the wide bodies have a handle that arms the slide. Some of the Airbus's have slides outside the cabin, under the floor, below the door. You can't see the slide pack in the cabin because its actually under the floor and if deployed comes out it's own door on the side of the plane;
This passenger that fell asleep was stupid. He had a short flight from Corpus Christi to Houston. Maybe 20-25 minutes tops. It's not like the seats in the lawn darts are that comfortable. He already knows he has to make a connection in Houston, for God's sake man stay awake for :30 and be responsible for yourself, just a little!