Alllllllrighty- this one goes under so TOTALLY not my fault!
So, I have been trying for HOW long to make the ASA presentation grade? A looooooooooong time! Boston bound, I am brimming with anticipation and daydreams about how I will dominate the session (oooh, I totally got someone worse than you think I got you at MSS, Georgianne!) But I digress. The session was ok, but I was stopped in my tracks by the most unBELIEVABLE event. . .I was almost killed by my hotel room.
I was staying at the "Scarriott". . .and I was scared. . .a LOT
I spent the day and night before Sunday preparing, I was ON POINT, and ready to go. I carefully packed up, and in leaving reached to turn off the light switch. . .when it EXPLODED in my hand, sparks and smoke, and a shock up my arm and across my chest. My hair stood up, and I was slightly burned on my right hand. . .WTF????
I grabbed a towel, ran across the hall to the ice machine, and put it on my hand, and put in an urgent call to the desk "at your service". . .Cry Havoc!!!
The woman on the phone, once I got through to her that the light switch blew up in my hand, that I was not calling to ask her to turn off my light, sent a very nice repair man to my room. . .in this whole thing, he was the only one who seemed to care if I was ok. . .in a nice human kind of way, not an OMG what if she sues us kind of way, but I digress. . .
So- The very nice repair man sees I am hurt and calls to get advice about who to call, and security, rather than the manager, was the verdict. . .enter "The Security man"
He brings up a cameraman, and takes pictures of the outlet, and my hand (not the part that is burned, but rather the top of my fingers). . .and begins to question rather bluntly "who gave her ice?!" in a tone that sounded like " I will kick your ASS for giving her ICE, Fie your Ice giving SOUL!!!" and when I explained that the light in question was still on, meaning that the power was still running to the now burned outlet, he stated it would be fixed, and when I asked about safety, he said "See that pen over there? Go ahead and take the cap off and use that if you are still worried about the light". . .he gives me his card. . . and out I go to present my research. . .in a dazed and slightly singed condition. I give the presentation and go back to the hotel. . .and am freaked out.
As my baby book can attest to, I have been afraid of fire all my life, the fear is panic worthy, complete with the "is this or is this not a heart attack?" laundry list of conditions that appear at the mere thought of fire in my presence. . .so I am just wrecked. I tell the night manager, and against my better judgement, I agree to go ahead and eat dinner out, and change rooms when I get back. I get back and guess what? No one knows what is going on and the hotel is full. . .you know, there is a CONVENTION going on. . .duh!
So, I am up all night, and Monday is my last day, and oh I so wanted to see the city of Boston! I am a major history geek, and while I was able to fall asleep for a few hours, the day manager called me bright and early to discuss the situation. . .which we eventually did. I explained that in the course of going out to eat last night, I must have lost the opportunity to change rooms. . .she told me to go ahead and eat breakfast at the hotel, and she would take care of the room change, if I still wanted it. I was just drained, and decided it would be worth it, for one night, to switch, if for no other reason, to be well rested for my return to motherhood. . .and in the course of 15-20 minutes, I again encountered the most rude and unhelpful people in the customer service industry. . .this one was named Andrea, and when I asked to see the manager, she nodded her head to her left and said, "knock yourself out, she's right there". . .guess what? IT WAS NOT THE SAME PERSON!
It was now after 10am, and I was leaving early Tuesday, and I wanted to see SOMETHING in Boston. . .and I am just so SICK of this situation. . .so I did not linger, and went out to see some of the sights. . .and wrote a letter to customer care BEFORE I LEFT THE HOTEL. . .which in my travel to 35 of the 50 states, and 4 other countries, IS A FIRST.
My presentation was not exactly what I thought it would be. . .dammit!
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