Page 1 of 1
OH NO! My hotel is a polling place!
Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 9:44 am
by txcharvel
So I'm on a business trip to Houston yesterday and today. I can't carry where I'm going first thing this morning, so my EDC is packed and locked in my hard sided suitcase. As I'm leaving and walking through the lobby this morning, I notice a line of people in a hallway and then notice all the voting signs and notices. I kind of freaked inside for a split second (nobody would have noticed) and kept walking to my car.
If I would have been carrying on my body, I might have been a lot more nervous. Not sure if there is anything I could have done differently but I will ask next time I travel on a voting day

Re: OH NO! My hotel is a polling place!
Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 1:46 pm
by MotherBear
We stayed home from the library today in part because I couldn't remember if it's a polling place. I had other things to do instead anyway, so I didn't look it up to be sure. And of course, I went to vote and had the privilege of forgoing one of my fundamental rights in order to exercise another.

Re: OH NO! My hotel is a polling place!
Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 2:46 pm
by RoyGBiv
If I wake up and "SURPRISE", my hotel has turned into an unexpected prohibited place, I'd just go about my business and move along as swiftly as possible with zero extra worries. Chalk it up to an unforeseeable circumstance and remember that "concealed is concealed". A guilty face will give you up every time.

Re: OH NO! My hotel is a polling place!
Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 3:08 pm
by ELB
Keep calm and carry on.
Re: OH NO! My hotel is a polling place!
Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 3:17 pm
by Vol Texan
Sounds like you're staying at the Courtyard on I-10 and Dairy Ashford. I know they do the polling in the events area, which is attached to the hotel lobby, but not really something you'd go by on the way to your room. I'd have to say that if I showed up from out of town, and had a reservation, I'd probably have gone into the hotel, avoiding the events area as much as possible.
Given a chance, I'd probably have asked them to book me at another Marriott property - make some excuse up that you're afraid of the commotion and potential security threat that being at a polling place offers. They're pretty good at taking care of their customers (but then again, I usually have over 100 nights a year with Marriott - so they're nice to me!).
Perfect solution? Probably not, but now you know not to select that hotel during election season. At least it was a Marriott property instead of a Hilton. Most all the Hiltons are posted 30.06 these days.
Re: OH NO! My hotel is a polling place!
Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 7:55 pm
by txcharvel
I was at a Courtyard, but in the West University are near 59 and Kirby. I only get about 50 nights a year, trying to go "Gold" so i can make it to the concierge level
I didn't panic, I just left right away...I did have a vision of my suitcase coming open and my Sig bouncing across the tile floor...I would have grabbed it and ran if that happened

Re: OH NO! My hotel is a polling place!
Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 1:36 pm
by sjfcontrol
Vol Texan wrote:Sounds like you're staying at the Courtyard on I-10 and Dairy Ashford. I know they do the polling in the events area, which is attached to the hotel lobby, but not really something you'd go by on the way to your room. I'd have to say that if I showed up from out of town, and had a reservation, I'd probably have gone into the hotel, avoiding the events area as much as possible.
Given a chance, I'd probably have asked them to book me at another Marriott property - make some excuse up that you're afraid of the commotion and potential security threat that being at a polling place offers. They're pretty good at taking care of their customers (but then again, I usually have over 100 nights a year with Marriott - so they're nice to me!).
Perfect solution? Probably not, but now you know not to select that hotel during election season. At least it was a Marriott property instead of a Hilton. Most all the Hiltons are posted 30.06 these days.
What the heck is "election season"? We've had two elections in the last two months, both essentially single-item ballots. Complete waste of time and money (unless you have an unpopular spending/borrowing agenda and want to sneak it past the electorate).