Angry over making good time

[bhskittykatt]

So we have a large con at the resort this weekend. Most of the guests arrived last night. They come from all over the country, and many of them flew into Big Airport which is 2 1/2 hour drive away if traffic is good. The group chartered buses for them to bring them all up.

One SC came in on the bus, and had a major entitlement complex.

CW: "So how was your trip?"
SC: *scowling* "You mean besides the 2 1/2 hour drive?"
CW: "Oh? Where did you fly in to?"
SC: "[Big City]"
CW: "...yeah, 2 1/2 hours sounds about right."
SC: "So is there, like, champagne in the room for me since I had to drive so far?"
CW: "Um...well no, but we do have a lovely room for you for your stay here."
SC: "I also had a three hour flight."
CW: "....okay?"
SC: *huffing and sighing and eyerolling*

Dude, if you made it here in 2 1/2 hours, then that's good time. That's how long it takes. And you were on a bus; you could have napped or read or whatever; you weren't actually having to drive.

And the 3 hour flight, from where he flew from, was perfectly normal, too. (I had another guest who had, between flights and layovers and bus rides, a 26 hour commute, so this guy could shove it as far as I was concerned.)

Now, on occasion if a guest hits horrific traffic on the way and I have the availability to do so, I'll comp them an upgrade since they're tired and grumpy when they arrive and they really appreciate the gesture.

Making good time though doesn't entitle you to free booze, however. You don't get booze just because you traveled here. Everyone travels here. It's how you get places. You don't get a gold star for making it from Point A to Point B in what happened to be a timely manner.

[Evannah]

What the heck? How is that any of your damned fault, or the hotel's, anyway? You can't argue with geography or physics. The world is a big place, you know. And we haven't quite figured out an instant teleportation system just yet either. What planet was that guy living on? Or is he just so used to living inside his own arse that he doesn't get how the world works?

[taxguykarl]

Or is he just so used to living inside his own arse that he doesn't get how the world works?

That would be my guess
As I live near the extreme southwest corner of Cook County, I would be happy for a drive from O'Hare taking less than two hours.

[notalwaysright]

Oh noes, he drove for 2.5 hours and flew for 3! What a big baby. I don't want to be around when he runs into ACTUAL problems. Cancelling his flight might send him to the hospital...

I've noticed a lot of people hate driving, period. When I moved up here I learned that people often take a plane from the Small Airport, to the Big Airport that was mentioned. I've honestly found that although the shuttle says two and a half hours, it often takes less if you take the 2 or 4 AM shuttle. Just for fun, I looked up the rates on the shuttle and the plane. The shuttle takes 2.5 hours, and costs $68, round trip. The plane takes 35 minutes and costs $225, round trip. For $157 difference, I'm taking the shuttle and reading for the two extra hours. Maybe if I had significantly more money I would fly. Maybe I'm way off base and everyone's going to say that they'd spend the extra and fly, too.

[South Texan]

Well of course it is the hotel's fault that the guest failed to pay attention to the flight reservation's information that states the times for departure and arrival, and did not bother to check out where the event was to be held and its distance from the airport.

Who else could be responsible?

[XCashier]

Sounds like another Gimme Pig just looking for a reason, any reason, to get free goodies. Even if said reason defies all logical sense.

[EvilEmpryss]

Used to live in Minot, North Freaking Dakota. I'm not kidding when I say I heard people speak cheerily about a four hour round-trip drive to be able to go to the nearest Red Lobster. When you've lived in those kinds of conditions, driving is either something you learn to love or learn to hate. I love it.

But I have no freaking clue why anyone would think the hotel should comp them anything just because someone had to travel. That's what they're in the business to do, give travelers the room they paid for. If you don't want to deal with a three-hour plane flight or a two-and-a-half-hour drive, then don't go to the freaking con!

[wolfie]

Following the "logic" these customers use, hotels in Hawaii would be giving away comps like crazy due to long travel times.

[MoonCat]

Used to live in Minot, North Freaking Dakota. I'm not kidding when I say I heard people speak cheerily about a four hour round-trip drive to be able to go to the nearest Red Lobster. When you've lived in those kinds of conditions, driving is either something you learn to love or learn to hate. I love it.

My sister used to live in Dickinson! Back of beyond

[Teysa]

When I work in Seward during the summer, a four to five hour-depending on construction-round trip to Anchorage to go shopping and get fast food is kind of a highlight of the month.

[Racket_Man]

I did a couple of trips from Chicago to LA during the run up to Y2K

4 hour flight one way. O'Hare to Santa Ana not LAX cause it was closer to where to the division I was going to in Cypress. Had to take I-5 from Santa Ana to my hotel in Cypress. On a Sunday afternoon it took me an hour (even in Chicago there was not that much traffic) Whooppie so what I am used to traffic and driving.

What did this guy want????? A big hug or something??????

[bainsidhe]

Back in college I used to work fast food. One night there was a swarm of police that stopped a car, and prevented drivers from reaching our business for late-night drive through. They didn't have to wait for the police to clear, they could have gone somewhere else. Yet when they were finally able to come through drive through, a handful of SCs asked if we'd give them something free for the "inconvenience". It didn't occur to me then, but I wonder how they would've reacted if we charged them more, because we lost business during those 10 the police were there.

And to the OP, some people go out of their way to be miserable. *shrugs*

[Greenday]

A three hour flight is a short flight. Not sure what's to complain about there.

[Shyla]

Following the "logic" these customers use, hotels in Hawaii would be giving away comps like crazy due to long travel times.

Just what I was thinking. If I'm starting from the east coast, can I get a free hotel room in Hawaii?

[AH85]

Used to live in Minot, North Freaking Dakota. I'm not kidding when I say I heard people speak cheerily about a four hour round-trip drive to be able to go to the nearest Red Lobster. When you've lived in those kinds of conditions, driving is either something you learn to love or learn to hate. I love it.

But I have no freaking clue why anyone would think the hotel should comp them anything just because someone had to travel. That's what they're in the business to do, give travelers the room they paid for. If you don't want to deal with a three-hour plane flight or a two-and-a-half-hour drive, then don't go to the freaking con!

Haha, I'm in Bismarck. Minot has grown so much now, they likely have a Red Lobster now. ND really has boomed in the last 5 years! Am a Bismarck native, and even *I* don't recognize the Bismarck I grew up in. I lived in Devils Lake for a long time, and we'd go to Grand Forks every few months to REALLY go shopping (no good shopping in DL). GF was a 3hr RT drive. And you know what? I read to pass the time, and never complained. :-)