1 December 2005 @ 1:28PM >> An unsigned joke via e-mail:

Next time you think your hotel bill is too high, remember this story...

Bob and Sarah are driving from Key West to Boston to visit their daughter in college. After almost twenty-four hours on the road, they’re too tired to continue, so they decide to stop for a rest.

They stop at a nice hotel and take a room, but they only plan to sleep for four hours and then get back on the road.

When they check out four hours later, the desk clerk gives them a bill for $350. Bob explodes and demands to know why the charge is so high. He tells the clerk that although it’s a nice hotel, the rooms are certainly not worth $350.

When the clerk tells him $350 is the standard rate, Bob insists on speaking to the manager. The manager appears, listens to Bob, and then explains that the hotel has an Olympic-sized pool, a huge conference center, and free wireless Internet available for their use.

“But we didn’t use them,” Bob complains.

“Well, they are here, and you could have,” the manager replies.

He goes on to explain they could have taken in one of the shows for which the hotel is famous. “The best entertainers from New York, Hollywood and Las Vegas perform here,” the manager says.

“But we didn’t go to any of those shows.”

“Well, we have them, and you could have.”

No matter what facility the manager mentions, Bob replies, “But we didn’t use it!”

The manager is unmoved, and eventually Bob gives up and agrees to pay. He writes a check and hands it to the manager.

The manager takes the check and looks at it, confused. “But sir,” he says, “this check is only made out for $50.”

“That’s right,” says Bob. “I charged you $300 for sleeping with my wife.”

Taken aback, the manager exclaims, “Sir! I did not sleep with your wife!”

“Well, that’s too bad,” Bob replies. “Because she was here, and you could have.”

1 December 2005 >> There have always been unscrupulous retailers pulling bait-and-switch jobs on customers, so it’s natural that they exist online as well. Scam retailers probably feel veiled by the lack of face-to-face contact when selling online. But what the Internet giveth, it also taketh away. Beware who you piss off, because your victim’s tale of woe may just get tons of traffic.