I am an early riser…I usually exercise first thing in the morning…yesterday was no different. It was my last day of travel and I needed to get my suitcase packed…expense report completed…and check my email before I left the hotel. I was dressed and working when all of the sudden the hotel fire alarm went off. The buzzing was long and continuous…as I walked down the hallway noticing all hallways doors were now closed…I viewed out the window, but didn’t see any smoke….all I could see were sleepy eyes peering out the door looking in both directions….scruffy looking men in house slippers, rough looking beards and disheveled hair. I entered the lobby to get a bite to eat…assuming that this was like most fire alarms…FALSE.
More men appeared in the lobby. The culprit was…burnt toast! The alarm continued to blare in a deafening buzz as the fire engines pulled up and the fireman appeared with ax and hoses into the hotel lobby. Finally peace and quiet…the alarm was shut off to the relief of my ears! As I sat and ate my breakfast, I began to consider that I was the only woman in the lobby….and I hadn’t seen any as I came downstairs…not even my colleague! Why was it that only men came out of their rooms….there had to be more women in the hotel…
I figured it was one of two things….they were smart enough to call the desk and find out that the alarm was false and they were comfortably sleeping a few extra minutes or they would never appear out the door without their makeup!
I asked my colleague if she had heard the alarm….”Yes, I just called the front desk and was told it was a false alarm.”….Now you tell me who’s not the sharpest tack in the box.
Travel Tip: Check with the front desk before you make your fast exit!