<VV> Convention 2 (opinion)

[Stephen Upham]

Smitty Smith writes:
" In that post I mentioned that one of my friends had a hard time 
getting a pass to park his Corvair on hotel property.  When he checked 
out he found that they had added $6 a day to his bill for parking.  
Folks, that is absolutely a pile of crap that one who stays at a hotel 
should not have a place to park his car on the premises without 
additional charge."

VV'ers, Corvair enthusiasts, and conventioneers,

I need to lead off by stating that I did not attend the convention.

When my wife, son, and I went to California (Newport Beach) this summer 
we stayed at a five star (Fairmont) hotel.  The parking arrangements 
were that if you could secure one of the approximately twenty free 
spaces (marked with a green curb) out front, you parked for  ... 
well... free.  If not, then you had to pay for valet parking ... $15 
(plus tip if you were so inclined or didn't want to feel like a 
cheapskate).  To make a long story short, I used the adjacent bank 
parking lot during the weekend (free), found a free space (green curb) 
three times, and paid the valet fee (plus tip) twice.  I know the value 
of a buck, and I hate to pay any more than is necessary, but the hotel 
policy wasn't the fault of the kids who were parking my car.  I did 
give the desk attendant the "look" when I was told of the fees involved 
with the parking, I figured that would suffice to let them know my 
displeasure, anything else would have gained me nothing more.  The only 
way to beat this type of policy is to express our displeasure with the 
hotel MANAGEMENT in writing, and or take our business elsewhere.

I often go to Mexico with my Mexican wife.  Her family lives in a 
quaint little village in the central highlands called Santiago 
Maravatio, Guanajuato.  I always am the most polite and friendly that I 
can be when I'm there, as I figure that I will be the only American 
that most of the people of the village will ever meet or have a 
conversation with.  I feel like I'm representing my country when I'm 
there.

MPO, but I believe the same holds true for our sport.  The people of 
Buffalo will probably never meet a Corvair owner again.  They form 
their impression of us, and pass on that impression to whomever they 
talk to, from the people they interacted with during the convention.  
With that in mind, it only makes sense that we should be the most 
polite and friendly that we can be in order to leave a good impression 
of the Corvair community with those whom we interact.


Flame suit on,

Stephen U

(any privately sent flaming is likely to end up on the vv  -  timely 
notice)