No I am not going into a litany on fire escapes. You know all about that. And like me you have probably been in a first floor room with a sliding glass door to the outside. The fire escape plans make no mention of the sliding glass door but does give you a diagram of the exact location of your room and does tell you to crawl in either direction in the hallway while carrying your key.
No this is a safety issue you may not have thought about.
Another figure from international finance has been arrested in New York City for sexual assault and kidnapping of a hotel housekeeper. This time at the Hotel Pierre in a $900 a day room. Two weeks ago the head of the IMF was arrested and is on house arrest pending trial. There is no need to discuss the ultimate end for either of these men. Guilty or innocent they are possibly both finished forever. So far Strauss-Kahn has lost his job and his future job as President of France. His defense and his house arrest is costing millions of dollars. If convicted he could die in prison.
A false accusation or even a misunderstanding can have serious consequences. There is a simple way to minimize risk of the accusation of assaulting a housekeeper in your hotel room.
Never be alone in your hotel room with a housekeeper.
I have spent many nights in hotels over the years. I use the do not disturb sign when I am in the room. I use the double lock. If there is a housekeeper near by when I leave I notify her that I am leaving. If I can sense that she may not speak English I have made enough noise while leaving that she can see that I am gone. I do not call room service to deliver anything. If there is a problem in the room I try to live with it and only report it when I am out of the room.
Real simple isn't it?
While conscious of the housekeeper why not leave a tip? They don't make much money and they have a tough life even when not fighting off arrogant old men. I leave $5 a day every day. Should it be more? I don't just leave the money by itself. The housekeepers are required to turn in whatever is left in the room. So I leave a note that says "Housekeeper." I put it on a chair in the middle of the room. No need to write a note. They often may not be able to read English. But they can see that I didn't just drop the money out of my pocket. Help protect them.
No this is a safety issue you may not have thought about.
Another figure from international finance has been arrested in New York City for sexual assault and kidnapping of a hotel housekeeper. This time at the Hotel Pierre in a $900 a day room. Two weeks ago the head of the IMF was arrested and is on house arrest pending trial. There is no need to discuss the ultimate end for either of these men. Guilty or innocent they are possibly both finished forever. So far Strauss-Kahn has lost his job and his future job as President of France. His defense and his house arrest is costing millions of dollars. If convicted he could die in prison.
A false accusation or even a misunderstanding can have serious consequences. There is a simple way to minimize risk of the accusation of assaulting a housekeeper in your hotel room.
Never be alone in your hotel room with a housekeeper.
I have spent many nights in hotels over the years. I use the do not disturb sign when I am in the room. I use the double lock. If there is a housekeeper near by when I leave I notify her that I am leaving. If I can sense that she may not speak English I have made enough noise while leaving that she can see that I am gone. I do not call room service to deliver anything. If there is a problem in the room I try to live with it and only report it when I am out of the room.
Real simple isn't it?
While conscious of the housekeeper why not leave a tip? They don't make much money and they have a tough life even when not fighting off arrogant old men. I leave $5 a day every day. Should it be more? I don't just leave the money by itself. The housekeepers are required to turn in whatever is left in the room. So I leave a note that says "Housekeeper." I put it on a chair in the middle of the room. No need to write a note. They often may not be able to read English. But they can see that I didn't just drop the money out of my pocket. Help protect them.
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