The comedies of hostels

Sitting in the lobby of a very sketchy hostel right now. It is called Adventurer Hostel (or Tradewinds Backpacker, or All Suites Hotel,…) and it is conveniently located about five minutes from the airport in Los Angeles. And that is exactly the one and only reason that I chose this hole. Cheap, close, free airport shuttle, super close to the depot where we will pick up the camper van.

So, since the room is a twenty-bed dorm with very uncomfortable beds, and it is not that warm outside (albeit much warmer than in Colorado), I settled into the lobby to watch the comedy unfold. I am frequently impressed and shocked with the way personnel will comport itself in front of customers. Paying for a service usually means that you’re treated nicely, right? Not in hostels. When it comes to those, it is a matter or sheer luck. I have found both incredibly nice, efficient hostels as well as dirty shitholes that are a collection of people who apparently did not find worK elsewhere.

Ladies and Gentlemen, let the games begin.

In the right corner, a slightly aging hooker. Now, I can only judge that she is a hooker by the fact that she is wearing very high heels and very short clothes for this weather, she also has three cell phones in her hand and not much else. Hm. Waiting for a client to pick her up? I will keep watch. In the left corner, the long-haired front office manager who says ‘fuck’ a lot. He fought with someone on the phone a few minutes ago, about some issue with the hotel shuttle. I have rarely observed someone using such obscene language in front of customers. Fascinating.

Oops, hookerlady was just picked up.

Right behind angry manager is unfriendly receptionist. She was nice to me when I checked in, but she was also complaining to me about her coworkers who were within hearing distance. No-Go. Never complain to your customers about your workplace. She is also quite unwilling to help customers who don’t speak English very well. A guy who checked in last obviously did not understand what she wanted his credit card for, since he had already paid for his room. Not everyone knows the word ‘incidentals’. In fact, I had a problem with that a few years ago in Boston. But this bitter receptionist had no ambition whatsoever to explain to the poor guy what incidentals are.

On top of that, they don’t seem to like answering the phone or speaking clearly when answering it. Now, the people staying here are all somewhat sketchy. A few travelers like me,  but many creepy guys, people who seem to live here, a couple homeless people showing up for the free ‘dinner’ (plain rice, fries, tater tots and nachos does not make a dinner make) ..

The room is damp, cold and uncomfortable. The hostel weird, sketchy and somewhat scary. But I’m sitting tight for a few more hours until my handsome fella finally comes in from the East Coast. Until then I’ll read a book, watch the lobby games and enjoy the fact that there is SO much oxygen in the air! I’ve clearly gotten accustomed to the altitude in Boulder. Damn, how I miss Boulder already.

A typical hostel situation… Getting dressed in the dark because you need to leave the room super early…