You need money to pay for things

[bhskittykatt]

So last night, I was having a nice slow night. Seriously, for the first six hours of my shift I checked in a whole two people. It was dead. And then this guy showed up.

9:30pm, SC came into my lobby. My thoughts in italics.

SC: "Yeah, I have a kind of weird situation. I was here last night and checked out, and now I need to check back in."
Me: "No problem." *gets room preference, has him fill out registration card* "And it will be $XX.XX total."
SC: "Yeah, I don't have any money. I can leave you my debit card."
Me: "I'm sorry, but payment is due at the time of check-in. I can't give you a room key without payment."
SC: "Are you kidding me? That's ridiculous! I was here last night!"
Me: It's ridiculous to require payment for services rendered? This is news to me. Does this mean I can go grocery shopping and claim it's ridiculous I should have to pay at checkout? "That may be, but for tonight, I need payment at check-in."
SC: "Fine, try this card."

SC tried one card. It returns a "Card No. Error", which I found weird, since I usually only see that if a Canadian tries to use a bank card or on Alaskan debit cards, of which this one was neither. SC then tried another one. After entering the wrong PIN three times, it was declined. Whether due to NSF or due to him locking himself out by using the wrong PIN is hard to say.

SC: "Well, what am I supposed to do?"
Me: Maybe go home? The address you put down is less than two miles away. "Without any money? All I can suggest would be the mission."
SC: "Well, that won't work."

SC then gave me that look. You know the one. It's the "this-is-a-problem-and-YOU-are-going-to-fix-it" look. I responded by adopting the "broken record" response.

Me: "As I stated, payment is due at the time of check-in."
SC: "I was here last night! I didn't even use the full night."
Me: "We do not have hourly rates, only nightly ones. It doesn't matter how long you stayed for last night. Tonight is a new stay, and payment is due at the time of check-in."
SC: "But I was here last night! Don't you have a record of it?"
Me: "I show you stayed last night and checked out this morning. That does not change the fact that I would need payment for tonight before I can issue you a key to a new room."

That was it. That was his whole argument, which I heard several more times. He stayed last night. Therefore, I should give him a key for free tonight. He couldn't wrap his head around that for a second night, he needs to pay for that night.

SC tried calling about half a dozen people. One of them finally picked up, and SC went out into the vending area to beg for money from them. I didn't catch it all, but I did glean that:

1. He had been staying at some girl's house.
2. Said girl decided to kick him out.
3. The police came to kick him out, and that they dropped him off at our motel.
4. He had no money, and "this person won't let me check in!"

I set aside his registration card, and I checked in a couple guests. While I'm checking them in, I keep hearing SC yelling "SHUT UP!" at someone. He ended up going outside. The guests were a bit nervous. I let a bus driver park right in front of the office since he couldn't lock his bus and we were slow enough I didn't figure we'd need that parking anyway.

SC wandered back into my lobby, pacing about. He saw another guest approaches.

SC: "Maybe that guy has some money."
Me: Now you stop right there. "Sir, you absolutely cannot beg from other guests."
SC: "Well what else am I supposed to do?"
Me: "If you begin accosting and harassing the guests, you will be asked to leave the property immediately."
SC: *glares at me*

He then sat down and called several people and left pleading voicemails. I'm not sure if he called a dozen different people, or a handful of people multiple times. SC was getting antsy, though, and he was starting to make me nervous. It was 10pm, and he'd been there half an hour.

Me: "Listen, I can't have you loitering around here all night. I'll give you 15 more minutes to try and come up with some money, but then I'll have to ask you to leave."
SC: "Whatever. I have nowhere to go."

A few minutes later:

SC: "I stayed last night, can't I get back in?"
Me: "That was last night. For tonight, payment is due at time of check-in."

At 10:07, he called a cab to take him to a neighborhood across town. I guess he found someone over there to take him in for the night. AT 10:15, the cab arrived to pick him up and take him away. (ETA: It wasn't up last night, but this morning I found a police summary where someone was kicked out with a notice of trespass, and the timeframe is right, so I assume it's him. It sounded like he was taking a cab back to that address, since that's the neighborhood he asked to be taken to. The cards fit too well. Oh, to be a fly on the wall over there...)

So yeah, I had to deal with that asshole last night for 45 minutes. Ugh.

[Jetfire]

Yuck. That's rough.

Of course part of me is now wondering where the sister story from the Cab Driver is, and how long it took that driver to get paid for the crosstown trip

[bhskittykatt]

Quoth Jetfire

Yuck. That's rough.

Of course part of me is now wondering where the sister story from the Cab Driver is, and how long it took that driver to get paid for the crosstown trip

I noticed the SC had about $10 in his wallet. The cab ride would put him right about there, so he probably just made it. You can certainly bet the cabby did not get a tip, though.

[thehuckster]

At least it didn't escalate further that that. I'm sort of have this image in my head that this guy was a bit shifty and threatening, especially if someone previously had to call the cops to get him out of her house.

I'm sure if he had come back to her house after 45 minutes, she would have called the police on him again, and he finally found lodging at the local police department for at least that night.

[PepperElf]

i'm just surprised he didn't try squatting for the night in the unlocked bus.

although, was he arrested or just kicked out of the girl's house again? Cos if it's the former then he at least got a room for the night... kinda.

[taxguykarl]

Quoth PepperElf

i'm just surprised he didn't try squatting for the night in the unlocked bus.

Or accosting the driver for cash

Quoth PepperElf

was he arrested or just kicked out of the girl's house again? Cos if it's the former then he at least got a room for the night... kinda.

Ah yes...the greybar hotel, free and a meal as well

[BroSCFischer]

Quoth taxguykarl

Ah yes...the greybar hotel, free and a meal as well

Nothing is free. Yo.u always end up paying in the end.

SC

PS: Yes, I know it's bad, but I thought it was funny.

[Cat Herder]

Quoth bhskittykatt

Me: It's ridiculous to require payment for services rendered? This is news to me. Does this mean I can go grocery shopping and claim it's ridiculous I should have to pay at checkout?

Well, according to this SC's logic, such a claim would be valid if - and here's the key - if you had been shopping at that store earlier that day or even the previous evening.

[HotelMinion]

What a dumbass. I get lots of numbnuts that have no money, no ID, no keys, nothing but the clothes on their backs and expect freebies. Most of them forgot everything at home and are stuck. They look at me like I'm the grinch when I throw them out. Some even curse me out. Their stupidity is not my problem! :\ And yes they are stupid if they expect something for nothing...

[Cat Herder]

We are Pakleds.

We look for money.

Money to pay for things.

Things to make us go.

...

...

...

We are Pakleds.