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Hyatt Hotels are using algorithmic Rest “smoking detectors”

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Re: Hyatt Hotels are using algorithmic Rest “smoking detectors”

#471
post #203

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Only if you want to get banned from ever staying in a hotel again

I don’t know what I’m talking about but doesn’t that go both ways? If (say) AmEx is getting a ton of chargebacks from this one hotel, don’t they at some point say “that’s enough of that” and drop them as a client? It seems the hotel should really have a huge incentive to not do crap like this?

I think the problem is that for a huge hotel chain (say like the Marriot) to get hit with enough chargebacks that a credit card vendor drops them, it means that a huge amount of people would need to charge back and be willing to be banned from Marriot until something happens. Kind of like a union, if you're the first to strike or protest, you suffer until enough momentum happens to make a difference.

Re: Hyatt Hotels are using algorithmic Rest “smoking detectors”

#472
post #230

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do hotels in the US not allow you to pay with cash any more? What if you don't have an internationally accepted card?

You can pay with cash. You usually can't stay without a credit card. Even debit often doesn't suffice.

Debit is a pain for them to deal with, because the hold they put on the card is a lot more than people expect. Customers complain when all of a sudden they have no money in their accounts.

I avoided getting credit cards for years, but you really do need on if you travel a lot.

Re: Hyatt Hotels are using algorithmic Rest “smoking detectors”

#473

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s how it works if I choose “pay at cashier” - if I walk up and don’t have the money the fuel is already in my car.

Where? In the U.S.? Whenever I have paid for gas with cash or from the cashier, I pay for it in advance, “Give me $10 of regular unleaded!”

I think “everywhere in the world except the US” is probably right. I live in a major city in the UK and did it last week.

Re: Hyatt Hotels are using algorithmic Rest “smoking detectors”

#475
post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would it work if it were real time? You light up, and five minutes later a manager knocks. Dunno about the legality of refusing to open the door, but it does sound like a way to get banned from a hotel chain.

Is it reasonable to make "use your body to test for carcinogens" part of the manager's job description?

Yeah really, I mean look at how the global population died out in the 1960s because someone walked past them with a lit cigarette.

You realize there's a difference between cigarette smoke and mustard gas, right? Standing at the door of a room that someone smoked in will have no effect on your health whatsoever. You need to be standing in the room, while they're smoking, preferably for a few decades.

Re: Hyatt Hotels are using algorithmic Rest “smoking detectors”

#476

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Traditionally I agree with you (and have raised the point many times), but lately I’m not so sure if it’s a representative democracy at all. I suppose the very corrupt and wealthy are a class being represented, but a representative democracy is in theory supposed to provide representative coverage for all. That seems to be a vanishing case.

This is true as well. Because the people (mostly) let them.

The issue is the representation went from 1:999 to 1:99999999999 representative ratio, so no voice is heard. It's like being in a class of 30 people vs 300,000 people.

The answer is common sense abstraction, for example, I am writing this on a JVM on a docker on VM on a docker on a VM on a cloud on a VM. The use of so many layers of abstractions makes it exponentially more powerful. What we need is basically a docker for government, docker being a nobel prize tier invention because of the tremendous degrees of abstraction it permits. We return to a 1:999 ratio for a represenative, who attend a congress to vote for a virtual representative acting in a 1:999 ratio at a higher tier of congress, who themselves virtually represent a single individual at a higher tier 1:999 ratio

Re: Hyatt Hotels are using algorithmic Rest “smoking detectors”

#477
post #392

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh, god, this tired nonsense. Yes, obviously, it's ruled by the people. We have parties, we vote, anyone can run for office. Anyone can vote third party, and they occasionally even win. That your neighbors don't share your views does not make it undemocratic. It's not perfect, but it's democratic. It's like people can no longer imagine living under a totalitarian state... where you don't even get a vote, and if you d…

So we ought to be thankful we're not in NK. Got it. Glad your bar is so high. It's apparent that you're decided but other folks will read this so let's break it down barney style. The 'third parties' argument is a painful joke, statistically speaking [0 1 2]. You can make all sorts of arguments as to why but the fact is that without support from D or R you can go get fucked. This raises the question - are there only…

I was sort of with you until Mamdani. He ran as a Democrat, in the Democratic primary. Cuomo outraised him by huge margins. NYC has ranked choice voting. Seems like things worked?

Re: Hyatt Hotels are using algorithmic Rest “smoking detectors”

#478
post #33

Not about smoking but I recently stayed at a W hotel and was woken in the middle of the night by the room lights turning on. They used electronic push buttons and I turned them off. Seconds later they turned on again. This repeated several times until I was fully awake and called the front desk. "We can come put tape on the sensors." "What sensors?" "There are sensors under the bed." "Oh, so you already know about th…

Why the hell would they put occupancy sensors below the bed that trigger the overhead lights, that’s an absurd solution to people tripping and falling at night, provide a nightlight that costs $2 instead of (2) $100 occ sensor/relays. Possibly the issue was they used PIR/ultrasonic (aka dual-tech) sensors and the ultrasonic one was picking up vibrations, I’ve seen that happen in tenant spaces before and turning down…

Perhaps no one asked them to make a little birdhouse in their soul.

Re: Hyatt Hotels are using algorithmic Rest “smoking detectors”

#479
post #33

Not about smoking but I recently stayed at a W hotel and was woken in the middle of the night by the room lights turning on. They used electronic push buttons and I turned them off. Seconds later they turned on again. This repeated several times until I was fully awake and called the front desk. "We can come put tape on the sensors." "What sensors?" "There are sensors under the bed." "Oh, so you already know about th…

I'm staying at a Candlewood in southern California and they've got motion sensing light switches for everything. They mostly go to plugs, though, and whoever stayed in the room before me unplugged all the lights. I left 'em that way. The bathroom light came on automatically blinded me three times a night when I'd get up to pee until I got in the habit of reaching in and hitting the button before stepping into the bathroom.

Automatic lights in private spaces are just a hassle.

Re: Hyatt Hotels are using algorithmic Rest “smoking detectors”

#480
post #253

If there is a fire in the building does every single guest get a smoking fine? Or if there is a prolific smoking guest can they set off detections in neighboring rooms? Hmm Also this seems like any excuse for hotel management to avoid having real interactions conversations with the cleaning staff who are perfectly competent to discover if a room has been contaminated by smoke.

Cleaning staff are weekly in every hotel I've spent more than one night in for the last several years. It's "eco friendly," they say. I'm sure getting to fire most of the cleaning staff has nothing to do with it...

I could probably get away with smoking in the room for the day or two after they clean. Not that I would - I stay at hotels that have covered smoking areas outside and I enjoy the company I meet.

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