I’ll have you know, before you accuse me of anti-Semitism, that according to Jewish Law, I am a Jew by blood. My sister is married to an Israeli Orthodox Jew, and I associate with many Jews from my high school and university. I am definitely not Jewish though.
Now that that’s out the way, what’s the deal with Jews still being cheap? Coming to my hotel, complaining about the most minor of inconveniences and demanding the world in return?
Situation:
A fire alarm went off Friday night in the hotel. A false fire alarm that probably rang for 20 minutes sometime between the hours of 11pm and 1am. It disturbed the entire floor. It’s not excusable. It’s annoying. Nobody likes being woken up by a fire alarm to find out that it’s technical error and no real danger. [i’d be rather pleased to find out it was no real danger, but that’s just me]
If this happens to you, the fire alarm passes, you’re informed it’s a false alarm, and you get your ass back to sleep.
The Goldsteins, however, could not manage to get back to sleep that night. I suppose they were up worried and shaken to the core. They come to me today, 2 days later, to check out and to demand we remove any and all charges they incurred during their stay and offer them 1 free night if they ever return. Their charges totaled about $130 [room rate had been prepaid through a travel agent] and a nightly rate, depending on the season, ranges from $300 to $900. So a twenty minute inconvenience that i personally consider minor is valued somewhere between $430 to $1130 to this couple.
When guests of the hotel come to me to complain, I often encourage them to think of what THEY would like in return. I only do this for guests with whom I can empathize. In the case of the Goldsteins, well Mrs. Goldstein in particular, she came to me told me of her minor inconvenience and then demanded her compensation immediately. In return I approve of the removal of her charges, but I refuse her free night. If you want something from me, you need to make me like you first. Such is a law of the world. When I met Mrs. Goldstein, she told her own husband to shut up when he attempted to recite the story to me in a calm manner. Mrs. Goldstein would not let up on the free night and demanded the manager get involved. My manager approved of the free night. [Better to give them what they want so that they’ll shut up sooner] When Mrs. Goldstein got her free night, she then asked for TWO free nights. I calmly and immediately told her “No”. The finality in my tone was so sharp, a mohel could’ve used me. [bad joke]
You would think that with all the stereotyping of Jews being cheap, that Jews would be a little more cautious not to appear that way. It’s not only Jews who do this of course, but when it is a Jew who does this, you can’t help but consider the obvious stereotype.
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this is one couple. they could have been the johnsons.
as far as having concern about reinforcing stereotypes, this can be very problematic and negative. take the case of the white liberal wracked with white guilt, who out of this kind of self centered concern, does harm through idiotic social policies to those whom he is obsessed with proving that he isn’t racist, or nativist, or sexist, and on and on.
it really doesn’t matter what the group identity is, if it’s based in factors simply incidental to birth, and not in beliefs arrived at through personal thought, exploration, intuition, insight, and etc, it will invariably alter one’s perceptions and thought processes negatively. it’s essentially trbalism.
I suppose your complaint could have been about anybody intentionally perpetuating their stereotype. It happens all the time, like white people who don’t train very hard as a race to increase their vertical leap, or Wookies who don’t manage their anger.
On certain levels, stereotypes work and some people are perfectly OK with their stereotype. The Goldsteins might not mind being perceived as being cheap. I know many people like the Goldsteins who would take being labled “cheap” as a compliment.
If someone is happy with a stereotype, there is no incentive to work against it. Take for instance the example of white people and jumping again. Somewhere along the line, the stereotype became easier to accept and everybody just started hitting shots from the outside. Now, nobody works on their ups.
The stereotype is perpetuated because it becomes comfortable and then at some point people identify with the sterotype and become proud of it.
I’m almost certain that’s what you would have found from the Goldsteins.
so the goldsteins shoot 3 pointers?
Yep. They are deadly from downtown. But they won’t dare drive the lane and I’ve heard some commentators call them “ball hogs” because they won’t share the love and are too cheap to dish it off.
As a very secular Jew, I find myself tending away towards stereotypes. As such, I generally tip even when the service wasn’t worth tipping, and as I am usually calm and relaxed about money, if I am slighted or something is amiss, I usually don’t bring it up with the staff unless it is life or death,
In the case of the Goldstein’s, they do represent a population in the Jewish Community who make those of us who aren’t cheapskates lives a bit harder. It is a trend of certain people always getting what they want, and then wanting more. I for one am of the group that would have been thankful there wasn’t a fire, bitched about the incident with my family, and gone back to sleep.
Jason Orkin on November 26th, 2007 at 3:03 pm | Link
So Jews and wookies can’t jump,play basketball well and are cheap ????????????????
Eric on January 9th, 2008 at 1:51 pm | Link