So, you think you are having a bad day . . .

Over the past few months, I have mentioned a few bad travel days in my postings (actually, just had another one whereby missed my connection in Houston at 2:00am and rented a car and drove 3 hours to Austin, hey these things happen to all of us). With these postings, I have received several emails about their bad travel days or business travel experiences. However, no experience outdoes one of my colleagues many years ago.

A very senior executive was traveling on business in a major city. This individual was based in the UK and was in the USA. With a bad case of jet lag, the person woke up early to use the bathroom (head, john, toilet, restroom, etc.). Tired and still groggy from the previous night's dinner, he struggled to the bathroom . . . opened the door and stepped in . . . the door closed . . . opening his eyes wider (he wore thick glasses and did not have them on) . . . he noticed that he was outside of his hotel room (opened the wrong door and no, he did not sleep with the door key on him) . . . okay, not too bad, right? just need to go to a house phone or to the lobby and get another key. However, this person preferred to sleep in the raw . . . yes, nude . . . so, the person is standing outside their hotel room, in his birthday suit (i.e., completely naked), can hardly see because he does not have his glasses on and was on the eight floor. He wandered the hallways "looking" for the elevators (you know, sometimes you can't remember which way the elevators are because you are in so many hotels, and he is practically blind). He found the elevators and this particular hotel did not have a house phone at the elevators . . . He was innovative in that he used a small painting (okay not that small) on the wall to cover himself as he went on elevator to the lobby to retrieve a new key. The first question that the hotel rep at the lobby asked "do you have any identification with you?" Then realizing his situation, gave a new key and they provided an extra bath robe for him to use as security escorted him up to his room for proof of identification.

I do not do this story justice as the victim is a wonderful story teller. This is one of the funniest business travel experience stories that I have heard. Let me know if you have one to top that?

Hotel workers must have some good stories.

Hey, these are the times that make business fun and interesting! No matter what, there is someone out there that has a more difficult day than you are having and a better day than your best day. Keep work/life in perspective.