Area Woman Survives Drunken Mayhem

I have survived my second New Year’s Eve at the hotel. I do not believe this to be some small feat. Though the hotel was busier than last year, it seemed a lot easier because I knew what to expect. Last year came out and blind-sided me like a friggin’ Mack truck. I managed to keep a good mood the entire night, despite the following:

Police on premises: 11
Fights broken out: 2
Guests swearing at me: 3
Gave “Amanda” as my name: 3
Bottles broken: 8
Petty Theft attempts: 1 (a small plant thing off the front desk. Come on, now. Who the heck wants an ugly hotel plant thing?)
Times Hit On: 0 (Whoo-hoo! I did not have the patience needed to repeatedly refuse annoyingly drunk men. It takes more out of you than one might think.)

Andrea had never seen me handle angry guests and she later confessed that I freaked her out. When a guest is yelling at me, or being obnoxious for any other number of reasons, I completely shut off emotionally. I become this weird, detached robot. I don’t flinch when they yell, but I don’t take any crap either. I simply walk away to the back and call Security for them to get the guest the hell away from me. Or at least that’s what I did with a drunk very-not-nice-word last night.

Here’s a picture I took during one of the many times the police were called to the hotel. You can mostly make them out–I don’t know what was happening with the lighting.

Also of note: someone threw a bottle of champagne through the outer window into the hotel sales office. Yes, you read that correctly. Threw it. Through the window.

Marty wasn’t too happy about that one. He’s the one on the left in that second picture.

On the fourteenth floor, someone went running around, kicking people’s room doors as hard as they could. Made a few dents, but one apparently was glass (I don’t know why–Security didn’t explain that) and the entire door sort of imploded into the room. Real nice.

What is it about the coming of a new year that makes people feel as though they have an excuse to be an inconsiderate and moronic prick? It’s a new year. Big damn deal.

Walking home and feeling incredibly lucky to have maintained my sanity, I passed evidence that at least one person had a worse night than I did. Along the street there are lines of planters which hold trees and, in warmer weather, flowers. As I walked home, I passed a twenty foot stretch of planter that was badly damaged. The metal fencing around the planter was bent in all sorts of directions, all the trees were cut out, and even a street light had been sawn off. Methinks there was an accident involving what had to have been a small pack of vehicles and that unfortunate planter.

Sorry this wasn’t very funny. My night wasn’t very funny. I have the next two nights off and am looking forward to sleeping most of today and then seeing Children of Men with some friends. The trailer looked really good.

Welcome, 2007! I’m glad you’re finally here. I have a feeling you’ll be a good year. That last sentence will probably be interpreted as sarcastic, but I really mean it. I’m looking forward to it.