When I worked in the hotel business, one of the (many) practices I found truly reprehensible was the way in which the hotels pressured their low wage employees to stay behind during hurricanes and continue to kiss the asses of stranded tourists.. as well as tend to panicked locals looking to ride out the storm at least three stories above the ground (while paying a not inconsequential nightly rate). I am thankful not to have had to ride out Katrina wondering if my home or my family was ok while tending to the very pressing matter of Mr. Johnson from room 1214 and his dissatisfaction with his omlet. Please don't tell me this kind of thing didn't happen. I know hotel guests. They suck. They are inhuman power tripping assholes who see every interaction with the service industry as another opportunity to demonstrate to their trophy wives just how important they can affect to be. The world could be ending outside, they are still going to try to get someone fired for not smiling at them promptly enough.
The good news is, this hurricane season will not see any vertical evacuations. The bad news is the hotel industry still exists.. still continues to bleed profit from the city by exploiting its low income workforce while packaging and commodifying its culture for sale to outsider douchebag tourists who will never get it.. and whose government now refuses to help us. Yes I'm still bitter about my erstwile hotel career. It scarred me.
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