I really hate it when I'm charged taxes and fees abusively while traveling by businesses and governments SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY CAN.
I'm talking about excessive charges and taxes on hotel rooms, rental charges, excessive parking fees, and extortionate pricing in restaurants and other businesses that cater to out-of-towners and people on their employers' expense accounts.
Whilst attending a seminar near the Nation's Capital last weekend, I was hit with a $40/day charge to have my car parked by a valet on a surface lot that was right across the street from my hotel. $8 tax on that parking fee, by the way. For my $48, I got "free in&out" privileges, which meant that when I wanted to use my car (that was about 100 feet away from the front door of the hotel, and clearly visible) I had to wait 15 minutes for a car jockey to get around to getting it, then dropping it off with his hand conveniently held out for an appropriate "tip."
The room was a little over $200 a night, plus there was a city tax on the room of about $30.
A cup of coffee and a doughnut cost me $6.50 in the convenient kiosk in the lobby of the hotel. A burger, fries and a coke was about $30 at what appeared to be the most reasonable eatery within easy walking distance. No free refills on the Coke, but the waitress did bring me a glass of tap water when she saw that the Coke was gone.
I have this irrepressible need to spend my employer's money with the same care that I spend my own money, and weekends like this drive me crazy. All of this excess thievery is based on one unavoidable fact: As an out-of-towner, there ain't a fucking thing you can do about it.
Not very neighborly, in my opinion. Gives a very poor impression of the city being visited.
I'm talking about excessive charges and taxes on hotel rooms, rental charges, excessive parking fees, and extortionate pricing in restaurants and other businesses that cater to out-of-towners and people on their employers' expense accounts.
Whilst attending a seminar near the Nation's Capital last weekend, I was hit with a $40/day charge to have my car parked by a valet on a surface lot that was right across the street from my hotel. $8 tax on that parking fee, by the way. For my $48, I got "free in&out" privileges, which meant that when I wanted to use my car (that was about 100 feet away from the front door of the hotel, and clearly visible) I had to wait 15 minutes for a car jockey to get around to getting it, then dropping it off with his hand conveniently held out for an appropriate "tip."
The room was a little over $200 a night, plus there was a city tax on the room of about $30.
A cup of coffee and a doughnut cost me $6.50 in the convenient kiosk in the lobby of the hotel. A burger, fries and a coke was about $30 at what appeared to be the most reasonable eatery within easy walking distance. No free refills on the Coke, but the waitress did bring me a glass of tap water when she saw that the Coke was gone.
I have this irrepressible need to spend my employer's money with the same care that I spend my own money, and weekends like this drive me crazy. All of this excess thievery is based on one unavoidable fact: As an out-of-towner, there ain't a fucking thing you can do about it.
Not very neighborly, in my opinion. Gives a very poor impression of the city being visited.
