Have you heard or seen or even stayed in one of those new mini-rooms that are supposed to save a traveler money? Ever suspect that it’s not being created for savings, but to load tons of more guests into less and less space, and collect more and more money… here’s one example.
Friday Fictioneers – Rochelle Wisoff-Fields posts a pic each week to write a 100 word story about.
This week it’s humor (funny, it was humor the week before, and the week before that, and the week before…)
Copyright – Janet Webb
No Extra Charge for Claustrophobia
The big-city hotel room had Sam ballistic.
“For $900.00 a night, I get a mirrored closet?”
Skyler, his contact, explained, “It’s the latest in mini-rooms. Place your laptop on that little shelf, sit on that white porcelain stool which doubles as your commode, and slide the shelf upward when you have to go.”
Sam flipped. “Does a noose drop down, and I get to sleep hanging from it?”
“So morbid, but we can arrange it. This mirror moves up, and you sleep normally, inside an alcove in the wall.”
“Great. So I can pretend I’m having an MRI.”
“Maybe you’d prefer our coffin model mini-suite?”
Randy Mazie
The Writer's Village 
Well, when ya gotta go, ya gotta go … either way.
Pay-to-go?
I thought that went out with coin operated toilets. Do you remember them? Now that I think about it, I’m surprised that Corporate America hasn’t brought them back – yet.
Randy
We never had coin-operated toilets in the midwest. And I was born in the 1960’s.
Sorry.
i didn’t know that folks in the Midwest even had toilets.
Was that story about your father’s “office” made up?.
Oh, wait a minute. I bet I know. It was an outhouse attached to the front of your house.
Whoa. i know that was low.
And the
’60s?
I never heard of them.
Wow… you are a baby….. but there were pay toilets in public facilities in major cities in the mid ’70s to, my guess would be, the early ’80s. though growing up in NY – we’d pee in the streets, writing our names against the wall.
And all kidding aside, I grew up in the ’60s and I loved it. I was born in 1950.
Randy
Oh crap, Randy!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! You are BACK with a vengeance now.
In all seriousness, I was born in 1961. I remember very much the fifties trappings left over before I went to kindergarten. Yes, we had toilets but never paid. Only in NY, I guess.
Too close to the truth, but still very funny. Great take on the prompt.
Thank you, Sandra.
Laughing out loud…nuff said.
can you elucidate?
Obviously not nuff said. 😀 Very funny stuff, between the commode and the coffin. Years ago I saw a documentary about a Tokyo hotel…don’t know if I could manage to sleep in those pods.
Funny. i had in mind some of the pictures I’d seen in China about how people rent out 6x6x4 open metal cages to sleep and live in.
That was truly sad and incomprehensible – as well as reprehensible.
Randy
Thanks for the elucidation.
i was trying to tease you when I wrote it.
Randy
Like flesh-pods in the matrix. 😛
The next step after mini-rooms will be to remove the walls. Then it will feel more like a cattle truck.
There you go – and lots more profits.
I can see it now.
it’ll be marketed as the latest in fashion.
A group home, so to speak. A Facebook of sorts for the hotel set.
So Zen, it’s in.
Sound like Skyler could have a good career as an estate agent too!
you are so right, and as a funeral director.
Maybe a bit too much sacrificed for the sake of efficiency. Sounds like it’s going to take more than a couple of mirrors to get Sam’s business again. Two nicely developed characters in 100 words–go, you.
Thanks.
Maybe next time it’ll be more smoke and less mirrors.
Raandy
We take our spaciousness for granted here in the US.
Take it for granted?
I thought our whole mental outlook was based on open spaces, body space, go west young man, don’t cross this line…
Randy
I think I may have stayed in the version just one up from this while in London some years ago. Good job with this, Randy.
janet
Was it a London Flat room?
Ha. Ransy
Ha Ransy yourself, mate.
a ruse by any other name may smell like fete…
Ranfy (the d-s-f- are too close to each other – don’t you think?)
Now let’s get back to that London Flat.
Does Bill know about it?
Dear Randy,
This sounds a bit like an article I read about hotels in Japan a few years back. At least in the one in your story your narrator can conduct two types of business at once. American ingenuity. Nicely done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Not narrator…MC…geesh.
MYOB when you MYOB.
Not geesh.
Geisha. At least in a Japanese Hostel.
Or, is it a Ho-tel?
Get the wrong acronym and we’ll all be S.O.L.
ha. L.O.L. @ S.O.L. from an S.O.B.
H.A.H.A.H.A.H.A.A.A.A.A.A.A.A.A.A.A!
This is why I generally reserve a room in a budget motel. Those upper-end hotel efficiency rooms are just TOOOO expensive.
Motel 6 or Bates….. lights on or lights off?
Fantastic detail – I think I can see this catching on! 🙂
Actually, this is the real deal in NYC and I imagine in all major cities
Skylar is s-s-s-o-o-o-o accommodating. Want a noose? What color? Very fun take on the prompt
thanks.
would you like Skyler’s number for future consultations… Randy
Ha.. Does the coffin suite come with a stake?
hahahaha. Love it.
yes, but it’s $2,000 and it comes with a bloody steak, baked potato, and salad.
The stake you’re referring to comes at night while you’re sleeping, but that’s extra.
Dear Randy,
I spent three years in one of those beds on my submarine….
Nice story.
Aloha,
Doug
OMG – I’m claustrophobic just reading your words
Randy, I don’t think I’d like that kind of room. I hope they provide that spray freshener they’re always advertising for bathrooms. 😀 I don’t want to sleep in a bathroom thank you very much. Funny and well written. 🙂 —Susan
Me neither. Here in Florida, they make the master bedrooms with bathrooms off the side, and I hate it….
thanks Susan.
This reminds me of an overnight train journey I made once, long, long ago, in a miniature sleeping compartment with all sorts of clever little dual purpose fittings. I thought it was a great adventure at the time – not so sure I’d feel the same about it now. Enjoyable.
I just did one last winter. Took the train from Ft. Lauderdale to Charleston. loved it.
But coming back was a disaster. Took almost 24 hours, several breakdowns, delays, no a/c. I could of walked back faster and more happily.
Have I told you recently that I really dig your sense of humor?
(Great story!)
No, you haven’t.
Ha. Saying it three or four more times ought to do it for this hour.
Thanks, Randy
Well, I really dig your sense of humor.
I really dig your sense of humor. I really do.
I really dig your sense of humor. I really, really do.
I dig your sense of humor, you know?
😉 😉 😉 😉
stop back anytime.
Thanks
(now I’m dreaming of the dreamer of dreams…)
Dear Randy, We stayed in a hotel across from the Eiffel tower and the bed was almost as big as the room. The bathroom was huge though. Go figure. Oh well – it was a beautiful view and trip!
Nan 🙂
Nice to visit Paris. I would love to go.
I don’t care what the room would be like… thanks for commenting.