popcorn

[thehippie777]

We have a popcorn machine in the lobby. Now one would think guests bitching about there being no cookies left would be enough...OOH NO.

Old guy, who seems to have a hard time walking as it is, comes into the lobby shortly after I come on shift at 10pm. My mainteance guy is already cleaning out the popcorn maker. The popcorn usually gets made around 3-4pm every weekday. Well, we are just sooo slow right now that he figures, heck clean out the machine. This isn't even something our Corperate company that inspets us allows, but we have it anyway as juat a little something extra. If they knew, the hotel would get in trouble.

SC: I was told there would be popcorn.
Me: Oh... *get into a view to see if the popcorn maker has any popcorn left in it* Well, I am sure sorry, but it looks like it's already been cleaned up.
SC: (gets very stern) I came down here for popcorn! What do you do with it, throw it away?????
Me: Yeah, if there is some to throw away...I am very sorry, *gives sad face* it's been cleaned up already.

Not 10 mintues later, comes back

SC: *rather upset* My wife was told by you that there would be popcorn, and she told me that she was told I could have some!!!!
Me: *luckily my mainenance guy was up by the desk*
MG: Gee, I am sure sorry. I already started cleaning that out.
Me: I am sorry, I didn't know anything about you wanting some. I just got on shift at 10, so I didn't know...
SC: What??? *to me*
ME: I didn't know, I just started my shift at 10.
MG: I would have been happy to save some for you if we had known you were told that.
SC: I am very unhappy, I wanted popcorn!!
MG: I am sure sorry... *shurgs* (guest clearly wanted the cleanup to stop and popcorn made completely just for him) I would have saved the entire stock if I had known.
SC: *walks off pissed*

I weighed my options in my head about making this bitchy old man popcorn, but the machine itself requires 4 batches be made at once (no idea why), so that would be a lot of wasted popcorn for an old coot but he would be happy... I decided against it.

[Polenicus]

...

*Goes to corner store, spends $1, gets a single bag of microwave popcorn, come back, tosses in microwave, hands bag to guest*

There. Go away.

Seriously, I suspect he wouldn't even want that option. I suspect he wanted it just for the novelty of getting it from the machine.

[mharbourgirl]

The last hotel I stayed at (winter before last, bloody snowstorms) had a goody basket in the room. Tea, hot chocolate, instant oatmeal, cookies, and three packs of microwave popcorn. AND a microwave in the room.

[Aethian]

I think machine popcorn tastes better then microwave popcorn but anyhoo...


So if complains to corporate about you guys not having any, you'll loose the machine. And then where would he be?

[Chromatix]

Microwaveable popcorn plus a microwave in the room? That sounds like a fire hazard just waiting to happen - you know what people can be like with microwaves.

[PepperElf]

or... Take some of the machine kernels... put them in a paper lunch bag and microwave them.

yeah... i've been told it works. never tried it myself tho.

[smileyeagle1021]

Microwaveable popcorn plus a microwave in the room? That sounds like a fire hazard just waiting to happen - you know what people can be like with microwaves.

you have NO idea how true that is.... nothing sucks more than having to evacuate a hotel because some idiot burnt popcorn and set off the fire alarm.

[One-Fang]

I'm sorry ... what?

Burned ... popcorn? When it stops popping you stop cooking it. I can't cook, I've wasted trays trying to boil eggs decently, but I don't think I've ever ... "burned" ... popcorn.

[smileyeagle1021]

I'm sorry ... what?

Burned ... popcorn? When it stops popping you stop cooking it. I can't cook, I've wasted trays trying to boil eggs decently, but I don't think I've ever ... "burned" ... popcorn.

One-Fang, you seriously over estimate humanity... my first experience with burnt popcorn was in the dorms at USU and the end of the story is me standing outside, in the snow at 4am in nothing but my boxers... I've sense then had about half a dozen burnt popcorn experiences either in the dorms or at work (and this is part of the reason that I was not sad when I moved to Salt Lake to not be living in dorms).

[Chromatix]

You know how SCs don't read signs? Well, they don't read directions either, and neither do they have any kind of common sense.

Every microwave-popcorn packet I've seen has the same basic format on the instructions: 2-4 minutes, turn it off when you get to several seconds between pops, and then open the bag.

Anyone with common sense would then set the oven to 4 minutes and watch it like a hawk. Or, after some experience with a given oven and brand of popcorn, set it to the exact time required.

You'd be amazed at how many people routinely just stick it on half an hour timer, and stop it manually. I've seen *engineers* do it, though not with popcorn - admittedly these were software engineers, they don't necessarily "do" hardware.

But then if you get distracted and forget to turn it off... well, it's the same principle behind deep-fat chip-pan fires caused by late-night drunken cooking, just on a smaller and slightly more contained scale.

[LadyAndreca]

I admit the very first time I nuked popcorn, I burned it. I'd actually never had to nuke popcorn before, we used a big pot with a little oil, on the stove. We didn't even OWN a microwave until a couple years after that.

Of course, I managed to do this in the dorms, in the winter so we couldn't really open the windows. It was one of two times in my freshman year I thought I was going to get beat up by the senior girls. (The other time I happened to be one of the first people to get to the grill on field day, but they took it as a personal affront that a freshman got there before their lazy asses.) Luckily, one of the sophomores rescued me.

[DeltaSierra]

I'm sorry ... what?

Burned ... popcorn? When it stops popping you stop cooking it. I can't cook, I've wasted trays trying to boil eggs decently, but I don't think I've ever ... "burned" ... popcorn.

I was a resident advisor in college - trust me it happens ALL the time. Students would put the popcorn in the microwave, punch in 5 mins and walk away to gab, or watch TV or whatever. We had 5 "popcorn fire alarms" a week, MINIMUM. You'd think they'd get a clue. Not all that fun when its 3am and you have to go into every single room on your floor to make sure everybody is out and/or wake those who can sleep through a fire alarm (a LOT can, I tell ya!!!)

[Kheldarson]

The dorm I used to live in had a weekly alarm go off. Either it was popcorn or it was a shower. I even set it off once because of the shower. (Note: When doing an at home version of dry cleaning in the dorms, do it when you're using the shower yourself. Don't try it when you're not in the bathroom.) School alarms are overly sensitive I think.