Have you every had something weird happen to you at a hotel? This story definitely falls into the weird category.
This week's travel trend is off-base to say the least. It involves a prank call, some hotel guests, an in-room sprinkler and hundreds of thousands of gallons of water.
Recently, a bunch of businesses and restaurants, as well as guests in hotel rooms in North Vancouver, BC received calls from pranksters posing as fire inspectors or hotel managers instructing them to pull the pin out of the sprinkler, immediately setting it off and causing major water damage.
What likely convinced guests was the call's urgency: if they didn't pull the spinkler's pin, the room would supposedly explode within 60 seconds from a gas leak. {read more about it here.}
Although you might think, I'd never follow those hanous instructions, imagine if you'd just travelled for 36 hours, were exhausted, sleeping in a strange room, and well, you get the point.
Hotel Room Safety
- Go with your gut, if something sounds off, it probably is. Get a second or third opinion.
- Remember, anyone can call you at a hotel, so if you get a suspicious phone call, inform the front desk.
- Always cover the peephole.
- As soon as you get to the room, lock the door behind you, using the deadbolt and chain.
- When leaving the room, ensure the door is locked tight.
[photo: dynamic sprinkler systems]