Sarah's Churchill Adventure: Philadelphia

This is the bit I hate about travelling along and NOT travelling light. Transit. I’m sitting at Penn station having narrowly missed having to get the subway to the station with all my luggage. The taxi driver who picked me up from the hotel said there’s been an armed robbery at Penn plaza and all roads were blocked – oh help. Fortunately by the time we reached the relevant corner all the police blocks had been removed and the traffic was able to get through. Was met by a large courteous black man who assisted me with my luggage about as helpfully as I could wish for.

Before I checked out of the Desmond Tutu Centre I managed to squeeze in an interview with Nadina Laspina – a gorgeous looking Italian woman with a long mane of thick dark curly hair and a magnificent face. Nadina grew up in Sicily and arrived in New York at the age of 13. She’s been arrested hundreds of times and currently has the American equivalent of a restraining order against her preventing her from going near any of the public government buildings in Washington DC. She has also brought dozens of law suites alleging disability discrimination against American companies to bring them into line with American disability discrimination law. She’s something of a professional nuisance who agitates for disability rights. I wish I’d had more time to interview her more in depth but I think I still got some interesting quotes from her.

Later....

Took the train from New York to Philadelphia and spent the whole journey chatting with Alan Cohen – a charming retired teacher who was travelling to Philly to give a workshop about dreams and what they mean. We talked a little about dreams and documentaries and a lot about politics about which we seemed to be in furious agreement on a range of policies. Lots of comparisons between the Australian and American system, so the 2 hour train journey passed quickly and pleasantly.

Arrived in Philadelphia in driving rain – and then once I arrived at my hotel had my fist tipping run it - told off by obsequious bell man for not tipping enough. Of course I ended up wildly overcompensating and giving him a tenner and now feel totally confused. Why can't they just pay them a proper wage and be done with it? It's just embarrassing and confusing really but I'm sure Americans all feel comfortable about it. Before I arrived I had asked my friend Eva about tipping etiquette and sh suggested that 1 or 2 dollars was sufficient for moving baggage about - well this bloke just turned his nose up at it - who's got a clue . Then there's the issue of always needing heaps of change in your wallet and I only ever seem to have 20 dollar notes and quarters - nothing in between. Nothing quite as humiliating as a lecture on tipping from an irritated bell man.

Since I left my last hotel 4 hours ago there was the bloke at that hotel who put my bags in the taxi, the taxi driver, the bloke who appeared curbside and helped me into the station (now he was good value and I gave him $5), the bloke who helped me from the waiting room to the train, the bloke who managed the taxi queue at Philly station, the Philly taxi driver, the bloke who helped me get my gear out of the taxi on the street and finally the feisty one who brought my gear up to my room and told me off. That's 8 people who probably expected me to give them $5 - $10 tip each –that’s $40 - $80 plus the taxi fares (which actually were cheap) just for tipping to get form one hotel to another.

In Philadelphia tonight for 2 nights - hotel is cute but no kettle in the room. Room service coffee $7.00 plus $3.50 delivery fee +18% service charge – plus a tip presumably. I think I’ll just get a take out from down the street or go without. Tea $4 plus plus plus the usuals – it can’t be that good.

Went out briefly but the rain is penetrating so I didn’t get far – bought take away for dinner out of resentment at the lack of a kettle when I would have liked room service. The area looks lovely but the weather’s not making it easy. I have a big day tomorrow starting at 8am so I’m looking forward to that – hanging out with and interviewing a bunch of radical activists – a nice contrast to this hotel which I’m finding irritating because of its smug hipness and bossy bell man. I had to call housekeeping just to find out how to drain the sink – what’s that about? I wasted about 4 minutes of my life that I won’t get back trying to find it.

Let’s see what tomorrow brings. A better mood perhaps.