Should have planned ahead

[pitmonkey]

So you are telling them that they need to go about 2 counties over, that sucks to be them.

[bainsidhe]

If folks are staying for a couple months, makes me wonder how many scuttle on over to the department store and buy a dorm fridge. Dorm fridges are pretty cheap and are awfully convenient in a pinch.

[Mr Hero]

As has been stated many times before on this site, "Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine."

[csquared]

bhskittykatt: Don't just stand there and complain! Get over to <next town where rooms are available> and get yourself a room before those disappear.

[BeenThereDoneThat]

If I were them I'd be grabbing those rooms 40 miles away before it's too late. I know plenty of people who commute one way a lot further than that every week day, from their own homes, with no end in sight...that's where the job is and they want to keep it. Idiots (your wannabe guests, not the commuters I know ).

[Seraph]

D: <hands bhs a plate of cookies, carefully>

These people are just....wow. I'm flabbergasted by just how many there are as well. I mean, one would think, logically, that after being in such a work situation before, you'd KNOW BETTER.

<facepalm>

[bhskittykatt]

So, it's refinery worker season. We are sold out. The whole town has been sold out for about a week now, is sold out for this next week, and will quite soon be sold out beyond that, since these refinery workers doing the turnaround are here for 2-3 months. I think we have even more workers this year, too, since one of the refineries went a little bit 'splodey a few weeks ago. It seems like we have more.

It amazes me that not one, not two, but literally dozens of these workers, who have come from all corners of the country (from Texas to Louisiana to Nebraska to New Jersey and beyond!) have arrived in town for an extended period of time and made no plans whatsoever as to their lodging! Dozens of them! No lie! How can that many people have such a lack of foresight?!?! *reads name of site* .....no, no...I still refuse to believe it! Dozens. Gah!

We're booked. I know you are in desperate need of housing. I know sleeping in your vehicle sucks. I've been there, and I wish I could help. But we're sold out for over the next week, and only have a handful of rooms after that.. I've called literally every hotel in town, and it's the same story across the board. No, I'm not going to go apartment hunting for you, either. You won't find anything on a short-term lease, anyways. I can just about promise that.

I can't count the number of times the following has occurred.

SC caller: "I'm in a real bind. I'm here for the next nine weeks and I neeeed a room!"
Me: "I'm sorry, I'm booked solid until March 26."
SC: "But where will I stay? Who else has rooms?"
Me: "The closest availability I've found is [town 40 miles away]."
SC: "You can't do anything better? Can you call around again?"
Me: "I've already called around, and everywhere is sold out. We are sold out. The town is sold out. The county is sold out. I strongly recommend you contact [hotel in town 40 miles away], as they are the next closest."
SC: "But I neeeed something closer! [other town] is to faaaar! I'm up here for the next two months!"

Why would you not make plans ahead of time for this sort of job? Why?!?

This, of course, is on top of all the other people who aren't workers, who figure they can show up without reservations.

SC: "It's the middle of the week in March! How can the town be sold out? I'm not going south, I'm going north!"
Me: "All I know is that there is nothing available between here and the border. Everything in the county is sold out this week."
SC: "This is insane! What am I supposed to do? Surely you know where something is! Can't you call around?"

The phone is ringing almost nonstop with these people, half of whom want to sit there and argue about us being sold out. What do you want me to say, haha just kidding? I'm not kidding. Maybe every other town is dead in the middle of March, but for us, this is one of our busiest times. Next time, call ahead. And if you don't, stfu and quit arguing. Don't go away mad, just go away.

Oh, and don't ask me for a fridge. Those rooms are booked through the end of May. Don't you dare ask me for a room with a fridge. You will take what I give you, if I give you, and you will like it, dammit!