Today is another day on the road and hopefully more then a dollar. This week I am stationed in a place that I expect to be fairly warm and sunny: Texas.
So you can imagine my surprise, after a pleasant, if chilly, day yesterday I see pouring rain this morning. D’oh! And my umbrella died in a gusty rainstorm two weeks ago in Baltimore and I haven’t replaced it yet. Double D’oh!
No worries, I have my complimentary USA Today with me!
Over the years I have developed a routine at hotels that quietly slip a USA Today under my room door whilst I sleep. When I go to leave the room, I bend over and pick up the paper just before leaving the room.
I know, that doesn’t seem that special. Considering that most places will give you a 75¢ credit not to take it at the room, well it seems almost silly. You can still pick up the paper in the Lobby for free too. Truthfully it doesn’t matter too much if I grab one at the room door or in the hotel lobby.
Right about know there may be some question as to why this matters. Perhaps it is the feel of the paper? The well crafted articles and graphics? Maybe the ability to swat the nose of ravaging zombie dogs?
No, no and perhaps to the zombie dogs…
The reason I grab the USA Today is two fold (pun intended):
- It provides a nifty temporary “folder” to protect important documents.
- It acts as a small shield for the rain/snow/hail/frogs/whatever.
This morning the paper performed double duty. Oh sure I could have tucked the paper (Yes, singular) into a folder in my backpack, slapped on the Boston Redsox hat and dashed for the rental. That would have taken more time then was necessary and my lovely hair cut would have been damaged! (Just kidding, it isn’t a lovely haircut, but it still would have resulted in “hat hair”.)
Placing the paper(s) inside the center of the USA Today allows the papers to be protected from moisture and from folding. As the paper(s) is/are tucked cosily in amongst its kind, it is less likely to be accidentally creased or folded. Bent a little? Sure! It pops right back to natural form though. This is probably the number one reason that I like the USA Today paper.
The other reason is the obvious rain shield that it is so good at.
OH! And the articles. I don’t mind the articles for reading on the plane and throw away before landing.
I hope that helps someone out.
- Mike
PS
Okay, I confess, I like it for the graphics! USA Today has some of the best graphs (as in pie charts and bar graphs) in the business and usually one is very humorous.
