My Traveling Days Are Numbered aka the Ramada Inn in Richmond Ripped Me Off
I read my horoscope every day at elle.com. But I didn't read today's because yesterday was such a traveling nightmare. I should have known not to travel when I was too sick to make the original flight on Monday... but I'm working freelance and if I don't fly and don't work, then I don't have money. Which is the thing that really sucks about freelance. There is no such thing as a sick day. Or if there is, you have to pay for it.
Because I was still not feeling so well and it was early in the am, I decided to take a cab to the airport. Only the cab didn't show up when it was supposed to show up. And when it did? The cab driver drove slow because he kept saying I was going to miss my plane-- that it was too late. Which I did. Miss my plane. By 15 minutes (I was there 45 minutes before boarding but that's too late nowadays) and ATA had no other flights going to Richmond, Virginia. And the guy behind the counter did not care. So I had to talk my way onto another flight on another airline which was three hours later. Which I was lucky to do. Thank God for that nice man who I'm sure just wanted me to step away from his counter. So what should have been a jaunt across the country became an entire day in a variety of airports.
I got to the Ramada Inn at midnight where it turned out that their wireless internet was not working. Yes, this happens alot when I travel. Maybe I have some crazy electrical impulse in my brain that shorts it before I arrive or something. I don't know. So I couldn't work. So why not unpack? Well, when I opened my suitcase, I saw that all my clothes were covered in every lotion and gel that was packed in plastic which no longer was because the guys searching the luggage couldn't be bothered to close the containers and reseal the plastic bags. So everything I just had drycleaned that I need to wear to work in was no longer clean and I could no longer wear it. I tried to rinse the lotion out of the things that were washable, but they're still wet. And my brand new can of hairspray? The lid was taken off and the entire contents had sprayed into my suitcase all over my socks and sweats. Which are now hard and sticky and smell like fumes. I thought that was bad enough. But then, the horoscope of it all. Which if I would have read, I would have seen that today also was going to be a horrible day.
For September 14: First thing this morning, it may appear that others are deliberately being difficult or argumentative. Perhaps they are, but your impatience may make things feel worse than they actually are. Throughout the morning and afternoon, you stumble upon a multitude of annoying mistakes, negligence or half-witted service. You can yank out another tuft of your own hair each and every time, but run the risk of being bald before the end of the day. By late evening, you finally start to calm down and recognize that most of these problems are temporary and in the eye of the beholder. Another thing: your attitude gradually improves, which changes everything.
So what was so horrible about today besides only getting 3 hours of sleep before doing a training and having nothing appropriate to wear? Well, this is where it gets good. I was accused of breaking the bed and a lamp during my stay and they charged my credit card for it without even speaking to me. Which turned out to be the travel agent's credit card. So I called this Sayid person who refused to listen when I told him I was only in the room from midnight to 7am, that all I did was sleep and shower. That I didn't even unpack (as there was no point if I couldn't wear anything). Sayid said he had checked the room himself and the lamp was broken. There were three lamps in the room. I didn't even use or touch the lamp he said I broke. I only used one. The one in between the two beds. Sayid did not care about that at all. He said he had attorneys and I would pay. As for the bed, I asked him what I apparently did to break it. How does a single person break a bed when all they do is sleep? He said that was okay because housekeeping managed to fix it. Which makes me wonder if housekeeping the lamp and needed a scapegoat. Which was me. It turns out the lamp was $30. Still, it was the principle. And the fact that he accused me, charged me and didn't listen to reason. Who does that? Aren't hotels in the business of customer service?
Well, I called customer service and they wrote down my complaint but said they couldn't do anything about it because all Ramada Inns were independently owned and operated. And the point of customer service is...? Tonight I'm staying in. I'm going to write. And try like hell to make something come to fruition soon because clearly this whole traveling thing is a sign. I wonder if any other Aries had a day like that? For their sake, I hope not. Like that happiness guru said, people have a harder time with the little things that go wrong because the big things they can rationalize. I don't know one way or another. Big things, little things. Bad is never good.
Because I was still not feeling so well and it was early in the am, I decided to take a cab to the airport. Only the cab didn't show up when it was supposed to show up. And when it did? The cab driver drove slow because he kept saying I was going to miss my plane-- that it was too late. Which I did. Miss my plane. By 15 minutes (I was there 45 minutes before boarding but that's too late nowadays) and ATA had no other flights going to Richmond, Virginia. And the guy behind the counter did not care. So I had to talk my way onto another flight on another airline which was three hours later. Which I was lucky to do. Thank God for that nice man who I'm sure just wanted me to step away from his counter. So what should have been a jaunt across the country became an entire day in a variety of airports.
I got to the Ramada Inn at midnight where it turned out that their wireless internet was not working. Yes, this happens alot when I travel. Maybe I have some crazy electrical impulse in my brain that shorts it before I arrive or something. I don't know. So I couldn't work. So why not unpack? Well, when I opened my suitcase, I saw that all my clothes were covered in every lotion and gel that was packed in plastic which no longer was because the guys searching the luggage couldn't be bothered to close the containers and reseal the plastic bags. So everything I just had drycleaned that I need to wear to work in was no longer clean and I could no longer wear it. I tried to rinse the lotion out of the things that were washable, but they're still wet. And my brand new can of hairspray? The lid was taken off and the entire contents had sprayed into my suitcase all over my socks and sweats. Which are now hard and sticky and smell like fumes. I thought that was bad enough. But then, the horoscope of it all. Which if I would have read, I would have seen that today also was going to be a horrible day.
For September 14: First thing this morning, it may appear that others are deliberately being difficult or argumentative. Perhaps they are, but your impatience may make things feel worse than they actually are. Throughout the morning and afternoon, you stumble upon a multitude of annoying mistakes, negligence or half-witted service. You can yank out another tuft of your own hair each and every time, but run the risk of being bald before the end of the day. By late evening, you finally start to calm down and recognize that most of these problems are temporary and in the eye of the beholder. Another thing: your attitude gradually improves, which changes everything.
So what was so horrible about today besides only getting 3 hours of sleep before doing a training and having nothing appropriate to wear? Well, this is where it gets good. I was accused of breaking the bed and a lamp during my stay and they charged my credit card for it without even speaking to me. Which turned out to be the travel agent's credit card. So I called this Sayid person who refused to listen when I told him I was only in the room from midnight to 7am, that all I did was sleep and shower. That I didn't even unpack (as there was no point if I couldn't wear anything). Sayid said he had checked the room himself and the lamp was broken. There were three lamps in the room. I didn't even use or touch the lamp he said I broke. I only used one. The one in between the two beds. Sayid did not care about that at all. He said he had attorneys and I would pay. As for the bed, I asked him what I apparently did to break it. How does a single person break a bed when all they do is sleep? He said that was okay because housekeeping managed to fix it. Which makes me wonder if housekeeping the lamp and needed a scapegoat. Which was me. It turns out the lamp was $30. Still, it was the principle. And the fact that he accused me, charged me and didn't listen to reason. Who does that? Aren't hotels in the business of customer service?
Well, I called customer service and they wrote down my complaint but said they couldn't do anything about it because all Ramada Inns were independently owned and operated. And the point of customer service is...? Tonight I'm staying in. I'm going to write. And try like hell to make something come to fruition soon because clearly this whole traveling thing is a sign. I wonder if any other Aries had a day like that? For their sake, I hope not. Like that happiness guru said, people have a harder time with the little things that go wrong because the big things they can rationalize. I don't know one way or another. Big things, little things. Bad is never good.
posted by jodypwrites | 2:31 PM
3 Comments:
Wow - that's brutal. I would have completely broken down if all those things happened to me in such a short span of time. Good luck with your writing this week.
Renee
This sounds like an out-and-out scam. The $30 is the giveaway that this is not kosher -- it's small enough that most people won't bother to challenge it and this Sayed person makes an extra $30 for one night's stay. I bet this guy does this all the time.
I would inform this Sayed person that he needs to send you this allegedly damaged lamp and that if he cannot produce it ("Oh, I threw it away already.") that you will report his fraud to the Virginia Commonwealth's Attorney and to the state consumer fraud division as well as to the Better Business Bureau office in Richmond. The BBB has no enforcement powers but will intercede on your behalf.
If others have made complaints, it could be enough for the state to investigate and if it is a regularly occuring rip-off, this Sayed person could spend some time as a guest of the state.
You also have recourse through your credit card company for a fraudulent charge. True, you can't prove that you didn't damage the lamp or the bed but if he can't prove that you did, you might get a refund through your credit card company.
I know it's only $30 but if you take the time to fight back, you'll do good for yourself and others even if you don't get a refund.
You know what I'd do with "Sayed"?... I'd have friend call him from a payphone and pretend to be from the INS and say that "After numerous complaints of fraud in the hotel, we investigating your immigration status. Please bring all of your immigration papers to the local INS office for your hearing. Failure to do so can result in immediate deportation."
It won't help you with the lamp thing, because the guy is obviously a crook, but you'll put the fear of Allah in his miserable bones for a few days as he tries to figure out if the call was for real or not. Anyway, when you can't get justice, settle for a little revenge. :)
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