My original housing out here was supposed to be in Oakland. I heard from a few people before I left the east coast that it wasn't a safe area. Even the guy who showed me to the rental car, upon finding out where I was headed, cautioned me about it. However, as my recruiter assured me that it was safe and other travel techs had used it, I decided to give it a try. I punched the address in my trusty Tom Tom GPS, ( I call him Major Tom) and set off from the airport. Crossing the Bay area bridge was pretty cool, but once you're on the actual bridge, the sides are so high that you can't see out the sides. As I crossed into Oakland, the area seemed to be nothing but warehouses and industrial buildings and lots of graffiti. I began to fear that Major Tom had led me astray. However, turning the last corner, there appeared a Target to the left (surrounded by chain link fence) and to the right an Extended Stay America.
When I went inside, there was a door open to a utility closet and several people standing there looking in and using at least 4 plastic trash cans to catch water coming from a significant pipe leak. One of them took a cell phone picture and discussed using it for proof. They asked me to hold on a minute. I decided to just look at the room first. It was skeevy looking. The rugs didn't look entirely clean; the whole place smelled bad; everything was worn and sad and cheap looking. So I called my recruiter and was sent back to the other side of the bay to look at a hotel. On the way back across the bridge, I had to pay a $4 toll. No contest. $4 toll everyday, skeevy lodging and unsafe area or decent hotel out near the airport on the other side of SF? La Quinta Inns & Suites wins.
That was Tuesday, the day I arrived in San Francisco. Today on the news, there was a story about a minister who was feeding the homeless (as he often did) in Oakland. He got shot and killed today. The bullets grazed his 3 yr old granddaughter and pregnant wife. Yeah, La Quinta rules.
When I went inside, there was a door open to a utility closet and several people standing there looking in and using at least 4 plastic trash cans to catch water coming from a significant pipe leak. One of them took a cell phone picture and discussed using it for proof. They asked me to hold on a minute. I decided to just look at the room first. It was skeevy looking. The rugs didn't look entirely clean; the whole place smelled bad; everything was worn and sad and cheap looking. So I called my recruiter and was sent back to the other side of the bay to look at a hotel. On the way back across the bridge, I had to pay a $4 toll. No contest. $4 toll everyday, skeevy lodging and unsafe area or decent hotel out near the airport on the other side of SF? La Quinta Inns & Suites wins.
That was Tuesday, the day I arrived in San Francisco. Today on the news, there was a story about a minister who was feeding the homeless (as he often did) in Oakland. He got shot and killed today. The bullets grazed his 3 yr old granddaughter and pregnant wife. Yeah, La Quinta rules.
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