RING! RING! RING!

21 June, 2014

Tampa, FL

Flight attendants are supposed to live glamorous lives, chasing their elusive dreams across the heavens to exotic places all over the world. 

The truth is, what most if us actually wind up by chasing is SLEEP! After an all night ten hour flight to our destination, nearly everyone aboard has had a chance to sleep - everyone but the crew. 

By the time we've put in a long night's work, we, too, need to get some shut-eye, remembering that we missed last night's sleep. 

One thing many flight attendants prize more than a free beer at the hotel pub is a QUIET, noise-free room. 

We changed hotels in Paris, and were presented with a host of new idiosyncrasies from the hotel staff, as well as a new set of challenges.

I had checked in to our new abode-away-from-abode, showered, and had just settled my brains for a long midday nap. 

Suddenly, there came a loud tweedling sound from just outside my door. The sound continued intermittently. This went on for some time until I was well-roused from my attempt at sleeping. 

I opened the door and saw the instrument of annoyance just across the hall from my room: it was a telephone.

It began to sound again, and I waited to see if anybody would answer it, and thus stop the unceasing botheration. Nobody showed up, and the phone kept ringing. 

After the FIFTIETH ring (I counted!) I could take it no more, and walked over and picked it up. 

They were looking for one of the maids. I told them that I was a hotel guest, and that the maids were working - doing what they were supposed to be doing. 

I furthermore informed the caller that if they themselves did not like to be disturbed in the middle of their sleep, that they should extend that same courtesy to their guests. I suggested that if they had questions for the maids, to call housekeeping, and they'd relay whatever important message. 

I then hung up, and the doggone thing rang again!!! 

I was SO happy that I spoke French!!!

"Obviously you don't understand the concept of peace and quiet!" I said, beside myself. "I'm warning you: if you call back, I will break the phone!"

"You wouldn't DARE!" said the caller. 

"TRY ME!" I challenged, "And while you're making calls, call the hotel manager.... OR I WILL!"

I hung up, and immediately thereafter the irritating device rang again. I walked right up to it and disconnected the handset from the phone and took it into my room.

I slept for a few hours peacefully enough, until, unbelievably, the darned thing began ringing AGAIN!! 

REALLY?

I repeated the process of removing  handset, and put it in the night table drawer next to the first one, and returned to a couple of uninterrupted hours of peaceful slumber. 

The next morning at checkout I asked to speak to the front desk manager, to whom I gave the confiscated handsets. I also gave him an earful, and asked that they never again check any air crew into that room, and that they just might have a talk with the staff about common courtesy. 

I never again stayed in that room, or in any room near it. Sometimes complaining can be most effective!