Wilsons Sandbox

Charles wrote;

> > The bike and I made it back from a 10 day trip unscathed. It was long, > beautiful and hot and dry. > The first day I drove from Santa Cruz, CA to Carson City, NV.

Big snip....

> From there, I went to Beaver, where I stayed in the worlds cheapest and > sleazyest hotel. > Sometimes it can be cleaner to just sleep in the dirt. At least the shower > worked. >

Speaking of "Sleazy Hotels (Motels)", In my years and many many miles of touring, mostly motelling, I have stayed in some really sleazy motels. Cheap doesn't always mean sleazy but it put you on the path. There has been one constant, there is a large "family"(there have been articles written about the family) of motel owners from the Subcontinent of India who have the monopoly on sleazy motels. Some of you have probably stayed in these motels. There is no way to know in advance who the owners are. The motel names are carried over from the previous owners. I was in Fallon Nv., I think, when I stopped at three motels in a row that were all owned by the same family. I actually saw the clerk from my 1st motel go to my 2nd motel while I was getting on my bike. The reason I'm bringing it up is some of the tricks that make them sleazy. I have stayed in at least 10 or 12 of their motels and I now avoid them if I have a alternative. Three times all of the table lamps had the male plugs cut off and the only light was the overhead which makes it impossible to read in bed. Obviously to save electricity and bulbs. The most sleazy trick, and I have run into this one twice, is frequent extreme alternation of hot and cold water in the shower! Freezing to boiling! I don't know what mechanism they use but it is impossible to take a normal shower. Again more savings. When I run into this family and I feel this is my lowcost choice I check the lamps and the shower. I have caught the lamp trick twice and they put me in a better lighted room without cut cords. There is no embarrassment on their part. I still go for the cheap motels! Like Tom Berdett? said "when the lights are out they all look the same". Ron

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