A-Hole Hikers in Hiawassee

[Dances with Mice]

but what if all inn keepers band together and decide what they are and are not obligated to do, with out consulting the customer?? (which is a tad closer to reality than your simplistic scenario)
and as a result, come out with silly rules, like non smoking, simply as marketing ploys? am i supposed to care about the profits of a man that teams up with other businesses and does not consult me?

But what if they don't? There is a wide spectrum of lodging available in Hiawassee. Across the street, practically, from the HIE is another hotel in competition for overnight guests. The hikers chose to stay at the HIE, drove past two hostels to get there then agreed to pay a premium price for lodging in that town to stay there. It's hard to imagine them being herded like sheep. Baaaad analogy.

[Appalachian Tater]

The people at the Holiday Inn Express really go out of their way to accommodate hikers and there has been plenty of abuse, loud hikers partying till the early hours of the morning, pot smoking, dogs sneaked in, rooms trashed, etc. The discount wasn't deserved. Same thing for the one in Erwin.

[solace]

Todays behavior on the AT is just goofy to stupid by "some" folks! How long is it before we are all secluded to JUST Hostels & "cheap" motels where pot like plants are pretty much growing on the walls anyways... urgh.. c'mon folk... have some better sense!

[Tin Man]

The people at the Holiday Inn Express really go out of their way to accommodate hikers and there has been plenty of abuse, loud hikers partying till the early hours of the morning, pot smoking, dogs sneaked in, rooms trashed, etc. The discount wasn't deserved. Same thing for the one in Erwin.

It's a shame, but if a-hole hikers can't even be convinced on this thread then that's how it is going to be.

[bulldog49]

what if there were no sex rooms for people who dont want to sleep atop the semen of others? further, what if there were 'no anal sex' rooms, in case you do not want to sleep after homosexuals? considering all of the nasty stuff that goes on in hotel rooms, for you fools and these owners to be outraged about a little smoke demonstrates your appetite for extreme delusion and lack of understanding of the world. people are not obligating to follow you into the black hole of delusion.
Yes. obey the gray headed men of fifty years ago. anyhow, i was referring more to the 'acceptable behavior' norms that other social fascists in here are citing. Like using laundry 'appropriately" ( none of us even know the details here) but that does not hold back the sea of the self righteous.

\


You come across pretty self righteous yourself, not to mention immature and self-centered.

[Johnny Thunder]

Todays behavior on the AT is just goofy to stupid by "some" folks! How long is it before we are all secluded to JUST Hostels & "cheap" motels where pot like plants are pretty much growing on the walls anyways... urgh.. c'mon folk... have some better sense!

The logic here is irrefutable. A few bad apples ruin the bunch, right? However, it is not our place to be the judge, jury, and executioner. People put in lawful positions to make such judgments are the only ones qualified to do so.

[solace]

NON-SMOKING means "non-smoking" . . . Its called RESPECT.. just go outside, go into the woods 200 feet up the hill from the Holiday Inn... wait 24 hrs and DO IT ON THE TRAIL!

[Appalachian Tater]

If you consider thru-hikers a group, then the group has a certain responsibility for policing the behavior of its members.

[briarpatch]

but what if all inn keepers band together and decide what they are and are not obligated to do, with out consulting the customer??
(which is a tad closer to reality than your simplistic scenario)

and as a result, come out with silly rules, like non smoking, simply as marketing ploys? am i supposed to care about the profits of a man that teams up with other businesses and does not consult me?

Actually, non-smoking rooms in the lodging industry are the direct result of consulting their customers. I've been travelling 30-40 weeks most years on business for longer than I care to think about, and have seen hotels go from no smoking restrictions, to mostly smoking rooms, to mostly non-smoking rooms based on what their customers want. Nothing arbitrary about it, no marketing ploys, just giving the the customers what they want. Several chains are now totally non-smoking because they had so many complaints and/or lost business when they ran out of non-smoking rooms. Rather than lose business when a "smoking floor" goes mostly unoccupied, they have converted to a full smoke free environment.

If you don't like the way they do business, you are certainly free to stay somewhere else, just as they are free to set the rules for their own property.

[Skyline]

umm, if you are in the middle of town, it could be obvious, freeleo.

i say if you open up your business to the public, you should expect a variety of behavior. this is supposed to be a free country, and some people actually act that way.

If you open your business to the public, and set some reasonable standards of behavior for them, you should expect that those standards will be followed.

Of course, we haven't heard from the (alleged) perps yet, so in hindsight until we do perhaps we should not be too harsh. It does frost me, and a lot of hikers, that in general a minority of our tribe does incredibly stupid, rude, and sometimes harmful things that reflect badly upon all of us and has consequences for all of us. It sounds like that's what has happened here, and I don't appreciate anyone calling me Hitler because I pointed it out and suggested a non-violent but possibly effective remedy.

[Johnny Thunder]

If you consider thru-hikers a group, then the group has a certain responsibility for policing the behavior of its members.

I agree with this.

Let's not have a repeat of last year when the "hiking community" took to the internet to perform "damage control" following the incident at Port Clinton and creating an immediate us-vs-them mentality on both sides. If you want to go ahead and spawn an entire class of hikers who feel they exist outside the mores which we've ascribed to then the easiest way is going to be limiting their options while they're currently hiking.

Also, if/when their friends stick up for them let's avoid calling them "dirty rotten liars."

Just my thoughts.

[ofthearth]

it was a NON smoking room. duh

Way to go!!!!!! NO DUH!!!!!!!!!! If you want to smoke get a smoking room !!!!!!! What's the problem with that??????????? I suppose you think it's find to make calls, play your music, weather radio etc in the shelter, standing next to someone etc. It's just a matter of respecting others as well as your own wishes. And what sex, anal or other wise, has got to do with not smoking in a NON-smoking room escapes me.

[Skyline]

but what if all inn keepers band together and decide what they are and are not obligated to do, with out consulting the customer??
(which is a tad closer to reality than your simplistic scenario)

and as a result, come out with silly rules, like non smoking, simply as marketing ploys? am i supposed to care about the profits of a man that teams up with other businesses and does not consult me?

If you are a smoker, ask for a room that permits smoking. Don't take a non-smoking room and then smoke in it. Especially an illegal substance.

As a reformed 3-pack-a-day smoker, I can't tolerate being around smoke. Whether it's blown into my face, or whether it lingers in the air in a tightly built space like a motel room. The odor makes me ill. That's why they have smoking rooms and non-smoking rooms. There are lots of folks like me, and there are lots of folks like you. We all get served at the Holiday Inn, but we are all expected to follow the rules.

Do you think you are above the rules?

[Blister]

this business obviously did not know much about hikers... what is so bad about smoke in a room?

Smoking in a non smoking room can actually cause the hotel to loose business. Many people today are non smokers (I am not one of them by the way)and when entering an area where heavy smoking has occured after being promised a non smoking room - it stinks, and the customer will refuse to stay there. I have seen this happen. To properly defumagate a hotel room after heavy smoking has occured it costs somewhere in the realm of over 500 bucks. Smoke does not go away it settles on surfaces leaving discoloration and stale odors. Curtains need to be dry cleaned as well as bedding materials washed, carpets need to be steam cleaned not to mention damage to wallpaper or repainting add in the labor for all of these tasks and smoking in a non smoking room costs the hotel money. The 85 dollar room rate doesnt cover those cleaning costs. Hotels usuallly have outdoor ashtrays for customers who smoke. Years ago I never thought of the damages but being in the hospitality industry I have seen the effects and now practice Leave no Trace as much as possible in towns as well. Hikers or not, it goes back to the issue of respecting rules and other people property. How will these folks treat other businesses, hostels and shelters, when they believe when they believe set guidelines do not apply to them???

[Appalachian Tater]

I agree with this.

Let's not have a repeat of last year when the "hiking community" took to the internet to perform "damage control" following the incident at Port Clinton and creating an immediate us-vs-them mentality on both sides. If you want to go ahead and spawn an entire class of hikers who feel they exist outside the mores which we've ascribed to then the easiest way is going to be limiting their options while they're currently hiking.

Also, if/when their friends stick up for them let's avoid calling them "dirty rotten liars."

Just my thoughts.

Getting so drunk that you **** yourself and then ignoring signs saying "private pool no trespassing" before using it as a bathtub is on a whole different level from smoking in a non-smoking room. People should indeed keep this in mind.

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

Businesses operate in a way that makes money. Giving a discount to attract customers that diminish the quality of the service offered to others by smoking anything in a non-smoking room or by wrecking the laundry facilities is bad for the bottom line.

Whitefoot, freedom does not mean freedom to use another person or business property in a manner they have requested it not be used -- nor does it mean you can totally disregard proper care of use of their property (as in putting muddy clothing in a washer or overloading a washer).

If hikers want to be welcomed and certainly if they want a discount they need to refrain from smoking in non-smoking rooms, smoke their pot outside and take care not to damage the premises or facilities. The entitlement mentality among thru-hikers - those rules don't apply to us because we are almighty thru-hikers - is at the core of why services are becoming endangered along the AT. If we as a community don't self-regulate, the lodging and dining facilities along the trail will not continue to welcome us.

[Tin Man]

Great points Blister. Smoking in a non-smoking room is exactly the same as busting up the furniture. No different. Costly remediation is required and should be charged to the occupant.

[Johnny Thunder]

Getting so drunk that you **** yourself and then ignoring signs saying "private pool no trespassing" before using it as a bathtub is on a whole different level from smoking in a non-smoking room. People should indeed keep this in mind.

Totally. I just wanted to point out that (from a semi-outsiders view) the situation last year was mishandled and that posters should consider that when considering this and other possible issues this year.

My point was that when we all gathered around that issue there was a tremendous demonstration of incestuous amplification on both sides. Let's be aware of that.

[Appalachian Tater]

I try to avoid anything to do with incestuous amplification on ANY side.

[Johnny Thunder]

I try to avoid anything to do with incestuous amplification on ANY side.

Me too. I also avoid Group Polarization unless I have my Blue Blockers.