So the US is now open to foreign travelers. I’m not gonna lie, I liked it without extra bodies and people.

I’ve only been to NYC since the pandemic started, and that’s a major hub for foreign travel. But the city seemed empty without all those extra people. I know the businesses welcome it, but those of us not in the travel industry are not keen on over-capacity airports and cities.

It reminds me of this guy I had an encounter with about three years ago in NY. He was British.

At one of my favorite hotels, the only complaint are the elevators. They are too slow. And one reason is that guests and the staff push all the buttons whether they are going up or down. So even if a person wants to go down, they push the up button.

One night I got in the elevator to head up to my room and the elevator stopped on another floor as I rode up. A guy gets in. Now after a week or more of this nonsense, I had to say something.

The conversation went like this:

ME: You are going up?

BRITISH TOURIST: No. Down.

ME. Then why did you push the up button?

BRITISH TOURIST: (Looking shocked at accosted by this big mouth American). What?

ME: Why did you push the up button to go down?

BRITISH TOURIST: They told me to.

ME: Who told you to? The front desk?

BRITISH TOURIST: Yes.

ME: Wait. You are telling me that the staff at the front desk told you to push the up button if you want to go down?

BRITISH TOURIST: (looking incredulous)

ME: (staring angrily at him)

BRITISH TOURIST: Look mate. How should I know, I’m from Britain.

ME: Britain? (then I shouted) AND YOU DON’T KNOW HOW TO USE A LIFT??? (I stressed the word LIFT)

His eyes were bugging out now. He jumped back like Charlie Brown at the end of the Christmas episode. And then backed away from this nut (me).

When the elevator got to my floor, all the way at the top, I got out, he called me an a-hole, and he proceeded all the way down to the lobby.

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