A video going viral on social media shows a family caught by their hotel in Bali with items in their luggage stolen from the hotel. Points of Arabia explains that the family got into an argument with hotel staff, and the property demanded they open their bags for inspection. They were caught with stolen items from their room. One stolen piece after another gets revealed.
This family was caught stealing hotel accessories. Such an embarrassment for India.
Each of us carrying an #IndianPassport must remember that we are ambassadors of the nation and behave accordingly.
India must start cancelling passports of people who erode our credibility. pic.twitter.com/unY7DqWoSr
— Hemanth (@hemanthpmc) July 27, 2019
What Are the Most Extreme Thefts?
A former Starwood GM reports the theft of a grand piano from his lobby. Some guests walk out with the TV from their room. Another GM reports a guest unscrewing the room number off their door for a souvenir.
How about,
sections of carpet, light fittings, mirrors and even curtains. …a medieval sword, door hinges and a 4ft wooden bear. .. One gentleman staying at the famous Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire Hotel – which featured in the film Pretty Woman – is alleged to have taken the entire marble fireplace. … a couple staying at an American Holiday Inn specifically requested a room near the car park. They then proceeded to empty the entire contents of said room (bed, furniture, the lot) into their handily-parked U-Haul.
Now we know why some chains mount hair dryers to the wall.
What Can You Take from a Hotel?
Hotels actually want you to take the toileteries. They don’t want you to raid the housekeeping cart — many of those now lock down when unattended, whereas in years past they used to be completely open. But the ones in your room? Clean those out, the hotel hopes you will think of them and the brand when you use them.
Hyatt specifically implores you to do it.
Beyond toileteries,
The most common items taken by British travellers were stationary (20 per cent admitted taking such items) and slippers (12 per cent).
What Happens When You Cross the Line?
Some hotels have taken to RFID tags to detect when towels leave the property.
[O]ne hotel that has saved $16,000 per month by reducing its towel thefts each month from 4000 down to 750 by attaching washable RFID tags to its towels. I assume that they aren’t actually tracking down towel thiefs, rather by letting guests know that the towels are tagged this serves as a deterrent. Presumably the deterrent would work just as well by telling guests that the RFID tags are in the towels, without any need to make the actual investment, at least as long as they are able to keep their lack of technology investment a secret.
More than warning you, or even catching you, there can be real consequences to theft in some places:
In Japan a few years ago, one hotel reportedly had a young couple arrested for running off with bathrobes and an ashtray, while a woman in Nigeria was sentenced to three months in prison for stealing two towels from the Transcorp Hilton Abjua Hotel.
Too bad they didn’t take advantage of towel amnesty.
What Do You Take from Hotels?
What do you consider yours, as part of the room rate? What do you feel a little guilty about? And what wouldn’t you ever take?
@ Gary — They should stay at Trump hotels, where theft is apparently OK.
Gene, better yet, don’t ever stay at a Trump Hotel! Though u probably could walk out with a white hood left from a previous guest
Lol lol lol love these comments:
“This family was caught stealing hotel accessories. Such an embarrassment for India.
“Each of us carrying an #IndianPassport must remember that we are ambassadors of the nation and behave accordingly.
“India must start cancelling passports of people who erode our credibility.”
So much for the so-called world’s largest democracy … one sticky-fingered thief somehow represents an entire nation of 1.3 billion and therefore thief should have the passport cancelled.
Evidently some hotels still send housekeeping to check the room prior to letting departing guests leave the premises. I’d forgotten that this used to happen until yesterday when checking out of an Accor property in Bangkok: I paid the bill and was set to leave, but the clerk said: “please wait a moment”, “ housekeeping will check the room”.
I guess they wouldn’t do it if they didn’t lose stuff through theft. But I wouldn’t stay in such a place again.
@Allen – stereotype much SMH
Gene and Allen your comments aren’t funny. This is a travel blog not an alt-left political blog. Keep your childish comments to yourself.
BTW I do take toiletry items as I give them to homeless shelters and battered women shelters. They really appreciate it.
Gene And Allen, both of you Need to get a life. Both comments are very unnecessary and unrelated to the question.
I take most toiletries and when we have enough we donate them to a homeless shelter or veterans home.
Slippers I can see taking. If they have been worn they would have to toss them. A matter of hygiene!
Toiletries, pen, pad. That’s pretty much it.
I never take take the toiletries as they are usually in plastic bottles. I wish hotels would not use single-use plastic…so bad for the environment.
Maybe the guests thought the mandatory Resort Fee covered the miscellaneous items? I mean, what’s the difference between Resort Fee’s and lifting some soap?
Where is my reply? I left one
My brother used to work at a Loews Hotel. One year they had a sale of items that were in the rooms. I got like 10 towels for like $10 and a couple of trash cans. Another friend who came over directly called me a thief when they saw the towels.
@Gene and Allen. If you do not like the President, why don’t you leave until 2024. There are many countries that love anti-USA people like you. Edward Snowden for example, stole American data, released it, then moved to Moscow. He was welcomed with open hands. Many have betrayed the United States and then flown to friendly anti-USA countries. Charlie Hill for example, was accused of killing a cop in 1971, hijacked a plane to Cuba for asylum, and lives there still.
But Gene and Allen, you don’t even have to go to such an extreme as hijacking a plane. Move to a beach in Costa Rica, Thailand, Panama, or the cities, London, Paris, or Germany and live a great life. You can even write an anti-USA blog from those countries. I have seen many. If you are in Thailand, you can insult President Trump all you like, just be respectful of the King. WTH, before President Trump was elected, there were intellectuals all over the world that trashed him. They would welcome you, anti-USA American with open arms. [Probably you do not have to skills to move to Australia or Canada. Immigration works a little differently there. Just saying.]
Toiletries, slippers, pens, and stationary. I donate all the slippers and toiletries to a homeless shelter. If more hotels had souvenir keycards with the property’s name and location on it or stationary that is branded then guests might be happy with those things. I’m always amazed at how even nice hotels in touristy destinations don’t have souvenir postcards or letterhead — cheap souvenirs and free advertising for the hotel.
The hotel these thieves committed their crimes is The Royal Purnama. Base rates starting at $350.00 USD and up. Looking at the size of their crew they obviously had more than 1 room or a large $1000+ USD Villa at this 5-Star property. Note that the video is a clip and there are more bags to inspect. So disrespectful! A Balinese friend and nearby Hotel Mng messaged me that the Royal Purnama eventually charged them 3 times the value of the stolen items rather than calling the Police which would have resulted in arrest and jail.
Gene and Allen are clearly buffoons. Why don’t you morons stick to the subject?
I used to take the toiletries but I stopped doing it several years ago because of the plastic waste. I was happy to see during recent travels in Japan and Europe that a lot of places have switched to providing larger, refillable bottles of shampoo and soap. This should become the norm. What made me laugh was a Marriott Courtyard in Tokyo that did both: large refillable bottles and smaller containers to take away, obviously intended for people to remember the brand. It kind of defeats the purpose of trying to reduce plastic waste.
This has been going on forever. In the 1929 Marx Brothers movie The Cocoanuts……..
Groucho: Hey, hey! You know that suitcase is empty?
Chico: That’s all right. We fill it up before we leave.
I like the slippers because I use them on my flights. Many airlines do not give out slippers. Who wants to step on those nasty airplane lavatory floors? I do like Intercontinental pens, which are very nice. Most hotel pens are cheap. The lotion bottles/tubes are very convenient. I do not use hotel shampoos because many times they contain a chemical that causes me to break out in a vicious eczema rash. Most hotels don’t have postcards anymore. If they have envelopes, I take one for my receipts. Helps keep my wallet thinner. But anything else I would not even dream of taking.
And for the record, I will never stay at a trump property. Ever!
Yes, I love my IC HK pen! St. Regis pens are also very nice!
I take pens , envelopes, slippers and toiletries. The real question is, what do you take from hotel lounges the night before you leave ?! I recently spent 3 nights at a Ritz Carlton resort before spending a week at another resort and the night before I left the Ritz , I took a bottle of wine and a bottle of tequila from the self serve self, I only did it because I saw a very old lady take 8 beers from the lounge.
I do not support Gene’s idea. Trump if a racist thief but why should we act like him?
@ OtherJustSaying et al — Grow some skin and a sense of humor. Donald Trump is a con man, and I am far from a moron or anti-USA.
JohnB. Who cares where you stay. Probably low end hotels. Glad I don’t know you.
I stayed at a wonderful hotel that had such fluffy towels I could hardly close my luggage. That’s a joke. Please, your more sensitive readers, I don’t need your self righteous reply. Let’s try to stay on subject and avoid political and hate comments from both sides.
@ Gene, Allen – funny, but this is not the place for political humor.
@ AC – They’re jokes, relax.
@ Mike – Those jokes are appropriate in more than alt-left blogs. But not appropriate here.
@ Other Just Saying – Political commentary and activism, and open discourse, are/should be encouraged (in the proper forum), not shunned as un-American. They obviously don’t belong here, as this is not the place for politics, but that’s a matter of venue, not substance.
The speech is both lawful and directed at something other than America or its principles; thus, not un-/anti-American. You know what’s unbecoming of an American? Telling those with strong opinions that don’t mirror your own to leave.
Toiletries are the only thing I take anymore and even then only if its decent quality stuff. Many years ago when I would backpack and would spend most of the trip in hostels I would stay my first night in a regular hotel and take a single towel (since a lot of hostels did not provide them) and then carry that towel with me for the rest of my trip. That was many many years ago though and back then I believe most hotels were building towel theft into the pricing of the room.
I think most things guests take are ‘stationary’.
Does Gary not know ‘stationery’ is not different American or British or was it the person quoted?
Oh the irony of the comments from @Other Just Saying: Trump tells immigrants to stay put in their tumultuous countries and try to fix their political systems, but then his supporters tell those that don’t like him to up and leave.
Geez, when did this site get so culturally polarized? Don’t we all just want to travel well? A little self restraint is in order all around. *Please*
@George and Taylor. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out. Wait, you hate it here, but won’t leave. Darn.
If Gene and Allen do not make anti-Trump jokes, which is also aimed for anyone that supports the President. Then they, and people like George, JohnB, Taylor do not have to have virtue signal when I mock them. To quote Gene-tic (who has self identified as not “a moron or anti-USA”) “Grow…a sense of humor”. To which I add, it is a two way street. Personally, I think my comments above are hilarious.
I’m introducing a bill to nationalize all hotels in the US. It will require hotels to provide all rooms for free. Items provided in rooms will be provided for free, you are free to take them (beds, sheets, curtains, old fat back balack and white TV’s that receive only Government channels, etc). Lounges will also be closed – those fall under the bourgeois rules and will be converted to more free rooms. Food will be provided, free of course as will drinks, which I maybe serving at the free bar in the lobby.
This will be paid for by taxing the rich. Congress people will be exempted of course from this onerous tax obligation.
XOXO,
AOC
@Bill,
“A towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. Partly it has great practical value – you can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapours; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a mini raft down the slow heavy river Moth; wet it for use in hand-to- hand-combat; wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes or to avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal (a mindboggingly stupid animal, it assumes that if you can’t see it, it can’t see you – daft as a bush, but very ravenous); you can wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough.
More importantly, a towel has immense psychological value. For some reason, if a strag (strag: non-hitch hiker) discovers that a hitch hiker has his towel with him, he will automatically assume that he is also in possession of a toothbrush, face flannel, soap, tin of biscuits, flask, compass, map, ball of string, gnat spray, wet weather gear, space suit etc., etc. Furthermore, the strag will then happily lend the hitch hiker any of these or a dozen other items that the hitch hiker might accidentally have “lost”. What the strag will think is that any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still knows where his towel is is clearly a man to be reckoned with.”
― Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Gene and Allen can’t help themselves. Typical Liberals who resort to name calling and degrading when they lose.
It is getting old. Trump is far from racist but it makes them feel good to degrade him. Shame they can’t see what it looks like, so juvenile.
I bring my own shampoo which I use for hair, face, body, and hands, so I don’t even touch the hotel toiletries, let alone take them. I can’t think of a single thing I’ve helped myself to while in a hotel. Now flying is another animal. I have a teaspoon (if it has the airline’s logo) from each airline I’ve flown international Business or First.
obviously Gene and Allen are not from America as they openly mock a president whom is actually looking out for AMERICA and its citizens, not for his own pocket and for other countries, he was elected by American citizens to serve America”s interests ,like him or not , with any help at all from the Dems just think what COULD have been accomplished on top of what already has despite constant attacks and investigations and a media that is 90% biased against his administration..
Hotel owner here… I’ve had an ice machine stolen several years ago… That was strange…
Doesn’t anybody know how to spell stationery anymore?
given that over 50% of Americans disapprove of DJT, and a net disapproval rating is -10% or so, Gene and Allen are in tune with far more Americans than people like Dean, who thinks that the most nepotistic, corrupt President in history is not looking out for his own pocket. And gosh, some of us are old enough to remember 8 Benghazi investigations, and dozens of investigations in the Clinton era. Then again, Russian bots are not known to have long memories.
@George Thank you for your clear and relevant points.
@Megan Now you have me thinking about our upcoming trips LOL
@Dean Please stop perpetuating the idea that #45 supporters are ill-informed and angry people who are so gullible they believe easily-disproven lies, which you’re doing by posting comments that are ill-informed and easily disproven. And please focus on the topic.
I take pens 90% of the time and the pads of paper since I usually fill them with notes in an attempt to kill more trees. I used to take the shampoo and soaps and then stopped since I stay in so many hotels I just don’t need anymore but then I started saving the bar soap again since we seem to be headed toward a world of “shower gel” dispensers only. I can’t wait until those get stolen (a lot). I prefer bar soap to feel clean. I know I’m likely killing dolphins somehow with my choice there so please don’t attack me like @JT’s Democratic friends (that was a joke just for those in Rio Linda) 🙂
@Dean and @Other Just Saying — Asking someone to leave the country because YOU don’t like what they are saying is not only un-American, it is simply preposterous. This country was founded on the principle of free speech. Homogenization is something done to milk, not to thinking or discourse.
This is our country (all of us), and small-minded people who tell other American citizens to leave if they criticize it need a remedial course in our Constitution and our history. This includes people holding high office (maybe more so).
Oh yeah, as to what I take… the pens and the decaf. I figure the pens cost less than some other stuff they’re okay with you taking (but leave for the next guest if untouched), so I leave the other stuff and take the pens. Nice souvenir. As for the decaf, I drink it very rarely, and making it from a sealed package is better than from a bag opened weeks ago.
@DaninMCI – I hate the feeling of hotel toiletries in general. The body wash and shampoo feel like Suave (i.e. horrible), and the bar soap always feels like it didn’t rinse off. The soap and body wash parts apply to everything from budget to luxury properties, though the shampoo at higher-end hotels seems to be fine.
New Handles:
(1) CNN’s Retired Lawyer. CNN sets the talking points. I teased you with a reference to leaving the country. You repeated the talking points, like a bird brain parrot. WTH. I told them to go to some of the best places in the world.
(2) George the Sanctimonious Twit. Did you see how he was oozing with moral superiority. Discussing both sides before coming down with the wisdom of Solomon. Arrogance go before the fall.
(3) Valley Ca Girl. Lol. Gag me with a spoon.
(4) Altered Gene-tics. Not sure if you are with Charles Xavier or Magneto. Pro-human or anti-human.
(5) Allen the stooge. (from before). BTW. I have a gold mine interest in Alaska to sell you. Everyone says that gold is going to pop. LOL. There is an easy mark born every minute.
To Gene and Allen, the racist, clueless leftists: This is a TRAVEL BLOG, not a forum to spew hate and ignorance. I’m sure that whoever runs this blog and lets your comments remain is as bad as you; therefore, beginning now, I’ll continue to enjoy and get all the information I can from this blog, but NEVER click on ANY of his links, as I wish not to support hate; rather, I’ll click on credit card and other links and give my business to more civil people who don’t insult half the country with unnecessary dumb-ass statements.
Gary dont you no itor your posts? You need to step up and these political morons here your article is about travel. You should be moderating your blog. For this I will not be following YOUR posts anymore. You are the one responsible for your article.
Typos don’t you monitor…..
Step up and tell ……
@ Other Just Saying says
Unfortunately, your perceptions of Australian immigration are way off beam…the reality: 100,000s refugee arrivals by plane in 2-3 year-long cycle of bridging visas working in the country with access to universal healthcare…you have no idea what you’re talking about when it comes to Oz
.. but, hey, such easy sport to dent the reality of the right-wing apologists with some basic facts and figures…cue the denials and personal insults…
…keep your right-wing trash and your gun-toting NRA in your own country, fella…
..and your disgusting racism – my wife is a Latina immigrant – the sort that your POTUS and your nazi rallies would denigrate..so…stay away from Australia…all reasonable and decent folk (like the vast majority of my US mates) welcome
@ platy
I’ve been to oz multi times. You can keep your ignorance down there where it belongs. It’s drunken, ignorant aus-holes like you that make never want to return.
@ Jim
Shame. I wasn’t born in OZ.
But in the country that sent its convicts to populate the USA. Ironically, in the same numbers that they sent to Australia.
Notwithstanding that inconvenient factoid, if that is your view of Australia, more than happy that you stay well away from our wonderful country, a country that doesn’t condone killing each other in mass shootings or tell its own Australian-born democratically elected parliamentarians to go home whence they came in an act of divisively aggressive racism whilst inciting mass rally hysteria.
Now, in terms of the original post – the more your “leaders” behave like self-entitled idiots, the more you witless apologists will assume that your bad behavior is acceptable – society degrades, behaviours fester.
Here is Oz, government realising they can no longer depend on alliances – military or trade – that our forebears fought alongside to protect and champion. So very sad.
Fortunately, the vast majority of the US folk I meet or count as friends can see through your BS…
Now, please, make my day, tell me you’re gonna stay away from Oz…your gun lobby is already spending more dollars per capita over here than in your own sad killing fields…(Steven Romerowho one of the latest children to be slaughtered…we don’t want that or your vile racism here)…
@ Ivy — I certainly hope you weren’t calling me a racist. I am by no means a racist, and I haven’t said anything racist in my comments (unless Oompa Loompas are a real race).
I’ve often wondered about towels.
Mandatory “resort fees” sometimes included “pool towels.”
What’s the problem?
@Raging platy.
(1) Raging P said: “easy sport to dent the reality of the right-wing apologists with some basic facts and figures.” Whenever an angry leftist says this, usually they enter into the fact free zone. Why bother to use your brain, when you can just parrot talking points. Patient goes into a doctor and says my brain does not work can you do a brain transplant? The doctor say sure and points to two brains and says one is $100,000 the other is $100. What’s the difference the Patient asks? The doctor wisely says, more expensive brain is from a liberal. Never been used, almost new. The cheaper brain is from a conservative, worn out, thinking too much. [Actually Gary, it is just a joke, I am sure your brain is well used.]
(1) My comment about Canada and Australia was not anti-Australian. Both countries accept legal immigrants, but you have to go through the legal process and obtain approval from authorities. Canada is difficult, because I know people that have moved there, and Canadians are protective of their jobs. I have read in mainstream media that Australia is the same. It was the comment was actually meant to be a tease for Allen and Gene, implying that they were not qualified to immigrate to Canada or Australia. WTH. Not sure Canada would approve my immigration application, even though as a working person, I am not a useless activist threatening to immigrant.
(2) You said “my wife is a Latina immigrant – the sort that your POTUS” is against. Now President Trump has a problem with immigrants without documentation [well, except for a stolen Social Security cards and the like]. Following the logic, it sounds like your wife was a latina without documentation. Did she marry you for your documents? I know men that have married women who wanted documents, and it did not work out well for them. The woman cheated and then left them taking half, plus 10 years of spousal support. I hope you signed a prenup. [If you gave her an iphone, you can track her movements using the find my phone feature. However, if she is cheating on you in your own bed, when you are at work, then the find my phone might not help.]
(3) The term “latina” is confusing. Liberals classify them all as brown. But they speak Spanish in Central and South America, because many were white. Have you ever been to South America? Many are whiter and more European most Americans. Talking about white, AOC looks whiter than most Puerto Ricans (who are American citizens at birth) that I see in the Salsa clubs in New York. Maybe I am going blind, because she claims to be a woman of color.
(4) On Australia, I personally am thankful to them for maintaining traditional English food. Modern day London is cappuccino, wine, and multicultural food. Aussie food is beef and kidney pie, bangers and mash, chicken and mushroom pie. Great. If I could just get them to serve their beer warm, out of a wood barrel with a pump, it would be a big win. But it is true, partying, drinking, and rugby do appear to be a national pastimes. Rating P will probably go nuts on that statement. However, I told a real Aussie and he laughed and bought me a drink. Then I bought him a drink, then after some more drinks, it is kind of hazy. Aussie beer is kind of strong you know Raging P, are you really an Aussie? Most Aussies I have met are not snowflakes like you. Are you sure you are manly enough for a “latino’ woman? When was the last time she seduced you? If it has been a while, maybe you should muscle up and watch the movie Hitch for some tips on dating your wife.
(5) “nazi rallies”. Raging P, you do realize that the Nazi movement was in Germany. History seems to be a weak point for you.
(6) Despite your rant against the USA, I still think that the USA navy should protect your dinky country against Chinese dominance. What, you say Australia is not dinky? Well EXCUSE me. The total population of Australia is 25MM. The population of the New York City Metropolitan area alone is 24MM. Even in your area, your country does not have not so many people. For example, Indonesia has 216MM. Philippines, 108MM. Vietnam, 96MM. Thailand, 69MM. Malaysia, 28MM.
(7) “inconvenient factoid”. Yea, right. One irrelevant fact, probably from fake news CNN. BTW. Do you know where your wife is right now. If you are checking her on the iphone, you are [as President Trump would say] “A LOSER.”
Is it ok to take branded pens? I often would like to take them as a souvenir, especially when they are not written in a Roman alphabet or have some out-of-the-way place on them, but I was never sure if that was ok. Especially if they aren’t just the thin cheap plastic kind.
Well at least they did not steal the bible. The housekeeper who caught that must have got a nice pat on the back for finding it. But really why does a hotel even have stuff in the room for guests to steal to begin with? And why does a guest really want to take stuff that has been used by 365 other people?
Growing up i remember having Holiday Inn towels in green lettering. They were only used to dry the dogs feet because they were so rough.
@ Other Just Saying says:
on your
(1)
The irony in Australia is that while the right-wing has used the racist card and irrational fear of terrorism to instill fear and loathing in the community by demeaning and denigrating boat arriving refugees ever since the infamous Tampa and “children overboard incident”, the reality is that there is an enormous influx by plane of folk simply overstaying their tourist or working holiday visas (estimated at up to 90,000 or about 1,000,000 per capita in USA terms) or applying for asylum whilst on a tourist visa after entry into the country – under the government process they are immediately awarded a bridging visa enabling them to work and access universal healthcare: there are an estimated 250,000 of these (or about 2,500,00 million in USA terms). The temporary or permanent visa may take two or more years to process.
The point is that when most folks start to hold up Australia as an example of strong immigration policy they get suckered into the right-wing government storybook – look at how we are “stopping the boats” when the real story is that the government has lost control of the majority cases through its own ineffective policy.
There is the compounded idiocy that those who have arrived and been processed are probably not going to be able to work in the field of their expertise and education since it is hard to get overseas qualifications ratified.
Oh, and, until recently companies could make overseas hires without a due attempt at local recruitment through the extensively rooted 457 Visa system.
Of course, when right-wingers look through the lens of their prejudiced lens they only hear the convenient (and factually incorrect) narrative about “stopping the boats”.
(2) / (3)
Trump is quite happy to play the racist card, attacking people based on their race regardless of their documentation or actually even being born in the USA.
Your other comments on my wife expose your total lack of character.
(4)
More drivel that, again, exposes your lack of character. Please don’t come to Australia. You’ll be disappointed by the lack of steak and kidney pie!
(5)
You are in dangerous territory when you are inciting folk to mass chant “send her back” (cf Ihlan Omar). It’s a slippery slope. Learn from history.
(6)
Oh yeah – the might is right mantra. But not helping in the South China Sea and Straits of Hormuz at the moment…nor encouraging confidence in generations-old alliance members…
PS. Back on topic….I did take a towel from Necker Island once (along with some Molton Brown toiletries) – must pay back Richard Branson next time I see him!
; )
@ platy
Your incoherent rant against “right wingers” and “Trump” show what an ignorant ass you really are – but then that’s what I expect from drunken aus-holes like you. Keep playing your hit record about not having “coons” living next door.
@Raging P. No steak and kidney pie in Australia. Then why would anyone go to Australia. I mean standards have to be met. Next you will be telling me there is no more beer in Australia and I have to drink Chardonnay. The horror.
Oh, I know. I should go to Australia to find latina women that have recently dumped their husbands for being total wusses. Na, it is kind of far to go just to find rebounds.
Rage on dear boy rage on. Over an out.
@ Other Just Saying says
Mate, you should stay exactly where you are – the rum grog comes sharp enough to scour ya guts into a butt searing prolapse – we have ripper roos at the back of our place that’d box ya pachycephalic cranium and scratch up ya fat guts, salties at the local beach that’d death roll ya bloated arm clean off, and pythons living in the roof that’d swallow you up, slow and whole…the local fellas would spear up ya up and shrink ya head into a bob toy for the dashboard of their red muddied ute…MAKE AMERICA GREAT BRITAIN AGAIN…
@ Jim
“Coon” is a brand of cheese in Australia. And Alan Bond went to jail (but not before Australia trounced the USA in the Americas Cup and sadly ya mob is still crying poor over the keel design). And our proctologists are world-class and stand behind their work.
But then, America is the greatest country in the USA…MAKE AMERICA GREAT BRITAIN AGAIN!
And stay away from Australia, there’s a good fella…now have an awfully nice day…
@ platy
COON was a hit song in your country, and has nothing to do with cheese, as you well know but are too much of a coward to admit.
I do agree the US is a great country, but we have no desire to become of the Britain’s puppets like your country. I’m sure you do not mind sending tax money to the queen.
And I have no intention of returning to your country, please stay out of mine as well. Better yet; don’t travel at all. I travel a LOT, and any time there is bar fight or in the street anywhere I go (Middle East, Asia, etc…) 99% of the time it’s one of your drunken countrymen involved.
platy’s:
Australia? You have got to be kidding me…..
10% GST for all, 40%+ effective top tax rate, council rates payable even if you are out of the country, ridiculous stamp duty rates, some of the most expensive food, real estate prices in the world. Australians are some of the most angry people on earth – due to mortgage stress? Cost of living? Or is it just that everything ailing Australia has been caused by China?
What country’s political system is more dysfunctional than Australia’s? who has THE worse race-relations? And you attempt to even try to compare it to the USA? Really? remember Pauline Hanson?
thanks for the laugh
@ Jim
If you knew more than one line of the song you might get the humourous reference made to Alan Bond (but no – way over your head).
Just remember to leave your guns at home when you travel – civilised countries like Australia have gun control laws to prevent the endemic plague of mass shootings that occur in the US – strangely enough, it works.
Most herein don’t want your NRA interfering with our politics despite their best efforts to do so (as recently as a few days ago the NRA president attempting to trash our gun laws and our former PM who introduced them).
Also remember that civilised countries and their respective states have laws to limit racism and discrimination and racial incitement – this because some inevitably abuse their freedom of speech to attempt to victimise, marginalise and discriminate others unfairly and cannot use their freedoms responsibly without seeking to hurt others. The vile personal and racist attacks on this very thread would not be tolerated, for example. So be a good boy and leave your racism at home when you travel, it may get you into trouble in other countries.
Most folk I meet from the US are entirely in agreement with the above and very decent people, which is why my comments are not anti-USA – my comments are directed at those individuals who wantonly abuse their freedom of speech and circulate misinformation to justify seeking to hurt and victimise others.
@ Bailey
Oh you precious snowflake – you can’t take on a comment without it being taken as some heinous anti-USA rant. Australia was being held up as an example of strong refugee policy by the racist right wing apologists on this thread – I was pointing out that wasn’t the case and provided FACTS and FIGURES on such.
FWIW the Pauline Hanson One Nation Party, ironically enough, was outed pre-election by the media when trying to get money from the US gun lobby and thereby lost much credibility mustering only a few percent of the national vote in the 2019 election.
FWIW many state sales taxes in the US are similar to the GST rate in Australia.
Our income tax rates don’t even kick in until $18,000 (or higher if tax offsets apply) wherein US taxpayers have been doling out 12%.
There are so many tax avoidance opportunities in Australia that the worst-case scenario would be paying 30% (by channeling your income through a company structure), once you’ve exhausted splitting into superannuation funds (at 15%) and family trust structures, offset against negative gearing of investment properties, located your business away from your “residence” to apply travel allowances below fringe benefit tax reporting requirements, etc…the big US corporates in Australia pay little in any local taxes, which is a scandal in itself.
My US friends complain about their property taxes – if my modest dwelling in Northern Australian was in Pennsylvania for example, I’d be paying $6,000 against Council Rates in my home city of $2000 – my mate south of Philly is paying about $45,000s in property taxes alone…
Not that any of that is really relevant – only to serve to expose your utter ignorance.
Now, to be clear, what we don’t want is the US gun lobby and associated apologists coming to our country messing with a system that works – we don’t murder each other = and our childrren in mass shootings. So your NRA and supporters can stay away.
And, per my post to @Jim, a gentle reminder that other countries have laws against the racist and discriminatory behaviours such as the posts above – you may need to respect such when you travel.
@ platy,
You’re quit the long winded racist aren’t you? Still a coward, though. And yes; your comments are a direct attack on the US. I’ve never mentioned guns, but you very clearly have an issue with the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights which allow Americans to own firearms. You have used this hatred to attack me numerous times, but then in your drunken state I’m sure you don’t comprehend that. Again, do us all a favor and stay out of our country.
@ Jim
No. Disagreeing on a political point / policy cannot be logically extrapolated to a hatred of a whole country. If you’re smart, you know that.
Inescapable fact. Hate speech in the US is not regulated. Apparently, that means that the personally derogatory nasties that have been written about me and my wife, on the latter profoundly and vile racism are OK in the US.
But can only happen when individuals abuse the power. Thus not an attack on a country but those who abuse their freedoms.
In Australia it is regulated.
Just remember that when you travel – not all countries allow hate speech under the cloak of free speech.
If Australian organisations were seeking to alter the US political milieu in the way that US groups like the NRA are trying to mess with Australia you might be one to have reservations yourself.
Enjoy your Constitution and Bill of Rights.
And for goodness sake, try not to presume and claim that an alternative point of view is motivated by hatred.
Travel safe.
AND MAKE AMERICA GREAT BRITAIN AGAIN!
PS. The latter was (when previously posted) and is a joke. So lighten up snowflake. Once again, humour has gone right over your head. Cue another round of personal abuse from an over sensitive and humourless yank.
@ Platy,
Yet another long winded rant by a racist, drunken aus-hole. Attacking our Constitution and our Amendments is an attack on our whole country. You are not smart, or you would know that.
Again, keep your drunken, racist self out of freedom loving country.
@ Jim
The Constitution and Amendments are a matter for the citizens of the USA to decide (although the volume of proposed amendments – 11,770 introduced to congress between 1789 to January 2019 and 33 sent to States for ratification of which 27 passed, the most recent, apparently, in 1992 – clearly indicate that US citizens themselves are keen to make changes!). No matter how attached or perfect you think your constitution/amendments may be, clearly it is subject to change with US citizens realising they are not “sacred texts”…if you were smart you would know that.
You might like to try the “Aus-holes” insults the next time you find yourself in a bar full of those “drunken Aussies” mentioned in an earlier post or insulating their partners or race. It would be interesting to see how far you get chucked out of the bar and / or arrested for public nuisance.. f…hopefully you exercise more basic manners and maturity on your travels than that expressed by you and certain others on this blog/thread.
@ Gary
Your blog obviously cannot be recommended to friends/colleagues and the frequent flyer community any longer given its infestation of hatred and racism. Vile stuff.
@ platy
I made no mention of anyone’s partners or their race. But you being a drunken aus-hole wouldn’t remember that far back. Nice try at yet another attack. BTW – the last time I was in Bangkok I very much enjoyed watching a 6″ 6′ 250 pound, loud-mouth drunken aus-hole get his a$$ handed to him by three 5″2′ Thai guys!!! Take your own advice and watch who you trash talk.
@ Jim
Yet another mass shooting in the USA. This time, El Paso. Twenty or more dead and dozens injured. Currently reported that this was motivated by hatred and racism directed at Latinos.
That’s where the hatred and racism you and others on this thread have expressed leads you.
All you need to add to the mix is ready access to military-grade weaponry to create a bloodbath.
It doesn’t generally happen in my country of birth (UK): it doesn’t happen in my country of residence (Australia). In Australia, 3 mass shootings in the last 23 years: in the USA, 250 in 2019 alone.
Your so-called freedoms cease to be freedoms when they impact the freedoms of others.
Your country is not under attack from reason and common sense – rather from within, from the vile hatred and racism that you, certain others on this thread, and certain folk in your administration – RIP the murdered in El Paso.
Travel safe.
Oh yes, I always take the pens from the hotel rooms when I travel.
@ platy,
Thank you for once again proving what an aus-hole you are. You remind me of the aus-hole who shot up the mosque in New Zealand.
@Jim
Another day. Another mass shooting in USA. This time 9 dead. In under 30 seconds. The killer had access to a weapon that could kill 9 people in under 30 seconds.
In NZ (since you mentioned that): gun reform from their government within 6 days. The Muslim (in this case the object of the racist hatred) community embraced.
Spot the difference between the NZ and USA governments. One acts to protect its citizens.
Yet @ Jim still calling Australians “Aus-holes” (although I wasn’t even born in Australia so it can’t be a personal insult rather a generically racist one like the many earlier posts), thereby expressing his hatred and racism.
What now – are you gonna call NZ folk from NZ “Ki-holes” because they had some courage and acted, and thereby have shown up what an utterly uncivilized administration you currently have?
Same in Australia. The government acted after the Port Arthur massacre in 1996 (and a right-wing government at that).
Spot the difference between the Australian and the USA governments. One acts to protect its citizens.
Your hatred and racism are exactly what breed such mass killings. Your hatred and racism are exactly what support a racist administration eroding democracy and equality.
You are an apologist for racism, hatred and mass murder – stay away. Your NRA and gun lobby – stay away.
2019 mass shootings:
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
3
249
@ Jim
Per the previous post. 20+ countries listed. Guess which one is the USA…..that’s right the last one. The one that tolerates people like you.
@ platy,
Still trying to prove what an aus-hole you really are I see. Trust me, the world is convinced of your racism and hatred. Try looking at the violent crime in your own native country. How many little girls have been groomed for sex slaves? And your country prefers to lock up the people who mention it than the people committing these horrific acts. Another five minutes another rape or sexual assault, your native country is the rape capital of Europe. Another 10 minutes and another knife attack. Another hour and another acid attack. I’d rather get shot than have acid in the face.
And by the way – I’ve never mentioned if I own any guns, the NRA, or any of the many, many other things you have thrown at me. Some Cup??? What’s that???
Keep your vile, racist, hatred off the internet your drunken lout. Again, don’t come to the US.