My younger son was driving cross country after getting his Masters at Berkeley. He calls me the first night he's driving and asks me to find him a hotel for the night. He'd gotten a late start and we figured he'd be around San Bernadino when he wanted to stop, so I got on the computer and started looking for a decent hotel, near the interstate, that accepts pets (he's got a cat).

I find a good hotel, very convenient, accepts pets, but all the websites have it at $170 for the night. So I call the hotel front desk and ask if they can book a room directly, or only through central reservations.

Her: "Yes sir, I can book a room"

Me: "Good, my son is driving cross country and would like to stop there tonight"

Her: "$170"

Me: "Can you do anything for less than that? He's driving cross country, going to get in late and leave in the morning-I didn't want to spend that much"

Her: "Well, there's a hospital near here, and if he's visiting the hospital, we have a rate of $119."

Me: "Really? Don't make me say that"

Her: "I'm just trying to help you out. I drove cross country once so I understand-just trying to help. And we don't ask for any proof!"

Me: "Okay, fine" [I still avoid actually saying he's going to visit the hospital].
"Now I saw online that y'all accept pets, but I want to confirm that".

Her: "Yes sir, we accept pets. There's a $100 non-refundable pet deposit"

Me: "Non-refundable? That's crazy. I'm not going to pay an extra $100 even if there is no damage".

Her: "Well, if it's a service animal, we don't charge the $100. And we aren't allowed to ask for proof of that either!"

Me: "Really?"

Her: "I'm just trying to help you out"

Me: "Okay, fine. The cat's his best friend in the world. Call it an emotional support cat!"


So I text the hotel name and address to my son, and then I call him:

Me: "I just texted you info on the hotel. It's right off the interstate".

Him: "Cool, thanks"

Me: "Oh, one thing, if anybody asks, you're going to visit someone at the local hospital."

Him: "What?!"

Me: "Yeah, they had a better rate."

Him: "Nuh-uh" [thinks I'm messing with him]

Me: "I'm serious. They said they don't ask for any proof"

Him: "Whatever"

Me: "One more thing. If anybody asks about Mao (his cat), he's an emotional support cat."

Him: "Nuh-uh" [really thinks I'm messing with him]

Me: "I'm serious. They won't ask for any proof of that either."


I thought it was pretty damned funny, but maybe you had to be there. Anyway, the thread about the Southwest passenger ejection made me think about it.

Also, on our flight back from Berkeley after his graduation, there was a dog that was just walking up and down the aisle with it's owner. Stretching legs, visiting with the flight attendants in the back of the plane. That was Southwest.

When my son flew home over Christmas break, he flew Southwest and paid $100 each way to have the cat under his seat.

As strange as it sounds...

I drove to Oklahoma with Ruger, my Brittany, and came across a near identical scenario regarding a room. On the way home I stopped at a place which indicated they were full (asa most places were in Flagstaff that time of the year). It was a Marriott and I wanted to know if they could find another Marriott with an opening.

Me: Hi, I realize you're full but I am in need of a room with my support dog and wondering if there is another Marriott either here in town or west along the 40.

Him: Support dog you say?

(Dog is bouncing around, happy to be out of the truck, and trying to greet anyone he thinks might have food.)

Me: Why yes, a support dog.

Him: Just so happens I have a handicapped room for the discounted rate. Now if you'll just sign here vouching he's a "support" dog. (the guy even did the finger thing for emphasis)

Me: Here's my military ID for the rate.

Him: Oh, why didn't you say you're retired... Hey doggie (he says to Ruger), want a treat?

Suddenly Ruger has a new best friend and decideds he ain't my dog anymore.

Lesson learned. When you book a room you are visiting the nearby hospital with your emotional support animal.

Thanks for the tip.

I will pass one along from a friend who works in the hotel industry. If you are booking a hotel for a conference you are told to give them some number that supposedly qualifies you for a discounted rate for a block of rooms. While that room rate is lower than the advertised rate, there are often rates that are lower if you just call on your own. Hotel rates are often negotiable if you do it directly.

Great story! I do suggest maybe a "reeducation session" with him. Guns, red meat, beer/scotch. Mao and Berkeley!

Congrats to him on graduation

quote:

Originally posted by cmr076:
Great story! I do suggest maybe a "reeducation session" with him. Guns, red meat, beer/scotch. Mao and Berkeley!

Congrats to him on graduation

Thanks! He's fine, and has his head on straight. And although he was at Berkeley, he was getting a Masters in Chem E, so the people he was around were fairly intelligent, motivated, business oriented, etc. In other words, not your typical Berkeley nut case. He actually overhead some people talking (who were protesting something), and one of them was majoring in "folklore". Good luck paying off Berkeley student loans with a degree in folklore.

He found a kitten in a parking lot at a chemical plant in Houston, and he named it Mao, which is the Chinese word for cat. I thought he was full of shit when he told me that, until I googled it. So nothing commie about it.

quote:

Originally posted by honestlou:

quote:

Originally posted by cmr076:
Great story! I do suggest maybe a "reeducation session" with him. Guns, red meat, beer/scotch. Mao and Berkeley!

Congrats to him on graduation

Thanks! He's fine, and has his head on straight. And although he was at Berkeley, he was getting a Masters in Chem E, so the people he was around were fairly intelligent, motivated, business oriented, etc. In other words, not your typical Berkeley nut case. He actually overhead some people talking (who were protesting something), and one of them was majoring in "folklore". Good luck paying off Berkeley student loans with a degree in folklore.

He found a kitten in a parking lot at a chemical plant in Houston, and he named it Mao, which is the Chinese word for cat. I thought he was full of shit when he told me that, until I googled it. So nothing commie about it.

Good for him! My brothers in grad school at Texas AM For chemistry as well. I think he's adopted.

quote:

Originally posted by honestlou:

Thanks! He's fine, and has his head on straight. And although he was at Berkeley, he was getting a Masters in Chem E, so the people he was around were fairly intelligent, motivated, business oriented, etc. In other words, not your typical Berkeley nut case. He actually overhead some people talking (who were protesting something), and one of them was majoring in "folklore". Good luck paying off Berkeley student loans with a degree in folklore.

He found a kitten in a parking lot at a chemical plant in Houston, and he named it Mao, which is the Chinese word for cat. I thought he was full of shit when he told me that, until I googled it. So nothing commie about it.

Sooo, how come your "nothing commie" son happens to speak Chinese?

When I married the wife the inlaws had a dog that her dad had named "Mouse". You know, after that Chinese feller, Mouse E Tongue as he explained it to me.

Traveling with pets are why 5th wheel campers were invented...

La Quinta is very pet friendly, no extra fees, no limit on number or size of pets, and there are a lot of them.