Tweet
Another banned weirdo. The hotel in the next city over got robbed overnight, so I was on edge after hearing that. The robber got away, and police still haven't caught him so yeah.
So this weirdo came in at around 2 am. He didn't look like the robber they were showing on the news, but you never know. He had a thick accent, like maybe it was a Russian accent, I'm not sure. Definitely foreign. Now I don't want to sound presuming, but maybe from whereever he came from it's perfectly fine to hassle the overnight clerk to open the cash register and break your money, but over here it's not. Let me start at the beginning.
I see him just loitering around at our door, looking this way and that, as if...checking around for something. Usually people come and pound on my door, or they look around in the lobby, trying to see if someone's inside. THis guy was looking BEHIND himself, so that raised my attention. I waited a while, and he's just kept looking around behind himself for like 15 min as if paranoid. So I then started thinking maybe he's a guest, as he did kind of look like one, he was dressed not too shabbily, and let him in.
"Hi can I help you?" I said, looking him over. He said nothing at first, just walked in slowly while still looking behind himself. "Can I help you?" I said again, trying to get his attention.
"Ah...ah...er...I'm looking for coffee, maybe, or something to drink?" he said finally facing me.
"Well, we have soda machines there and that's it," I said.
"What about those coffee?"
"Well...that's for the guests," I said. Sometimes I let off the street people have a cup, if they're friendly, but something told me that he wouldn't leave if I did. He wasn't unfriendly, but his body movements were slow and lazy, and didn't seem like he was in a rush. "Are you a guest?" I added.
"No...no but I need a drink," he said.
"Well soda's all we have over there. ANd the bars are down the road a few blocks," I said helpfully.
"Why can't I have that coffee?" He argued.
"As I said before, that's for guests," I said.
"Well, how much is it for a room?"
I told him.
"Oh...uh...em..." He looked behind himself again, trailing off.
Minutes passed. I asked, "Are you going to get a soda?" I asked.
"Well...I would, but....does it take $20?"
"No it only takes $1."
"Well can you....break a $20?"
I paused. By now, a voice was telling me, don't do it, don't do it! I checked the clock. 2 am. After thinking, I decided to trust my gut. "No...I'm afriad I can't." I said.
He stares at me unblinkingly. "Why not? Do YOU have cash?"
"No I don't. And the manager locks up the cash."
I was half lying. It's true that that register is locked, but I have the key. The GM from my motel days told me that for guests it's okay to change their money (obviously) but be careful for non guests 'cause they can reach in and swipe it.
"How are you supposed to change cash now, then?" he demanded.
"I can't. People have to pay buy credit card now," I said.
He scoffed. Minutes passed. He didn't show signs of moving, just kept looking sleepily around.
"Sir," I said finally, "are you going to buy a soda from our machine? If not, you'll have to leave."
"Pfft..." he muttered something. "What kind of customer service is this?"
"You're not a customer," I said. He muttered something again in his language. "Sir, please leave."
"I just want some coffee!" He said, angry now. "If not, I want you to break my money!"
Now I'm getting annoyed. "We are not a coffee shop, and we are not a bank, we are a hotel. That is for the guests. Now please leave."
More muttering from him, and he turns away. But doesn't move. I tell again again to go, and he turns back and sneers. I pick up the phone and start dialing the cops. He says, "No, you don't have to do that," and turns away again, but doesn't move. I keep telling him leave now, but whining and moaning he inched towards the door. I call the cops and he finally leaves. I give them his description and they come in about 10 min. They see him loitering around our entrance and nab him. He claims that he is standing on the public sidewalk and has a right to. The police say he is right but ask me if I want to ban him. I say yes. The police give me a slip of paper to sign and he is banned.
So this weirdo came in at around 2 am. He didn't look like the robber they were showing on the news, but you never know. He had a thick accent, like maybe it was a Russian accent, I'm not sure. Definitely foreign. Now I don't want to sound presuming, but maybe from whereever he came from it's perfectly fine to hassle the overnight clerk to open the cash register and break your money, but over here it's not. Let me start at the beginning.
I see him just loitering around at our door, looking this way and that, as if...checking around for something. Usually people come and pound on my door, or they look around in the lobby, trying to see if someone's inside. THis guy was looking BEHIND himself, so that raised my attention. I waited a while, and he's just kept looking around behind himself for like 15 min as if paranoid. So I then started thinking maybe he's a guest, as he did kind of look like one, he was dressed not too shabbily, and let him in.
"Hi can I help you?" I said, looking him over. He said nothing at first, just walked in slowly while still looking behind himself. "Can I help you?" I said again, trying to get his attention.
"Ah...ah...er...I'm looking for coffee, maybe, or something to drink?" he said finally facing me.
"Well, we have soda machines there and that's it," I said.
"What about those coffee?"
"Well...that's for the guests," I said. Sometimes I let off the street people have a cup, if they're friendly, but something told me that he wouldn't leave if I did. He wasn't unfriendly, but his body movements were slow and lazy, and didn't seem like he was in a rush. "Are you a guest?" I added.
"No...no but I need a drink," he said.
"Well soda's all we have over there. ANd the bars are down the road a few blocks," I said helpfully.
"Why can't I have that coffee?" He argued.
"As I said before, that's for guests," I said.
"Well, how much is it for a room?"
I told him.
"Oh...uh...em..." He looked behind himself again, trailing off.
Minutes passed. I asked, "Are you going to get a soda?" I asked.
"Well...I would, but....does it take $20?"
"No it only takes $1."
"Well can you....break a $20?"
I paused. By now, a voice was telling me, don't do it, don't do it! I checked the clock. 2 am. After thinking, I decided to trust my gut. "No...I'm afriad I can't." I said.
He stares at me unblinkingly. "Why not? Do YOU have cash?"
"No I don't. And the manager locks up the cash."
I was half lying. It's true that that register is locked, but I have the key. The GM from my motel days told me that for guests it's okay to change their money (obviously) but be careful for non guests 'cause they can reach in and swipe it.
"How are you supposed to change cash now, then?" he demanded.
"I can't. People have to pay buy credit card now," I said.
He scoffed. Minutes passed. He didn't show signs of moving, just kept looking sleepily around.
"Sir," I said finally, "are you going to buy a soda from our machine? If not, you'll have to leave."
"Pfft..." he muttered something. "What kind of customer service is this?"
"You're not a customer," I said. He muttered something again in his language. "Sir, please leave."
"I just want some coffee!" He said, angry now. "If not, I want you to break my money!"
Now I'm getting annoyed. "We are not a coffee shop, and we are not a bank, we are a hotel. That is for the guests. Now please leave."
More muttering from him, and he turns away. But doesn't move. I tell again again to go, and he turns back and sneers. I pick up the phone and start dialing the cops. He says, "No, you don't have to do that," and turns away again, but doesn't move. I keep telling him leave now, but whining and moaning he inched towards the door. I call the cops and he finally leaves. I give them his description and they come in about 10 min. They see him loitering around our entrance and nab him. He claims that he is standing on the public sidewalk and has a right to. The police say he is right but ask me if I want to ban him. I say yes. The police give me a slip of paper to sign and he is banned.
Comment