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Wake up call

alarm_clock.jpgLiving out of hotel rooms for the last 15 days, I noticed something interesting: I asked for a wake-up call from the reception desk every night even though all the rooms had alarm clocks next to the beds.

When it comes down to it, people have more confidence in a human being than an electronic device. Especially in unfamiliar situations. Who knows if that alarm clock on the bedside table works, or works properly, or works consistently? I thought about it, and didn’t want to take the chance (my plane from Sao Paolo to Buenos Aires left at 5:30 in the morning).

Just another situation where I’d rather have a living, breathing person controlling my fate than a machine.

Comments (One comment)

When I travel, and I travel a lot on business (33 flights this year!) I have zero confidence that I can reliably make the alarm clock go off when I want. It’s like programming an old VCR.

I usually arrange the wakeup call when I check in. So the clerk writes it down on this little pad… as a systems guy, I can’t say that I feel confident that it’s going to be acted upon.

So I use my cell phone as a backup, but I’ve never not had the wakeup call come in.

Dan / May 2nd, 2006, 5:33 pm / #

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