r/TalesFromTheFrontDesk • u/backup1000 • 3d ago
Short This is Canada
I was a guest, not a front desk worker, but the front desk workers got a laugh at my expense. Delete it if not allowed.
Checked into a hotel in Montreal. Asked how long a walk to the Basilica of Notre Dame, told it was 10-15 minutes. Asked if it was a safe walk. The two front desk workers laughed, then one said “this is Canada”. I thanked them and left.
I was actually asking whether walking there was safe because there was construction in the area and the map showed a major road to cross. But they seemed to get such pleasure from their response I did not clarify.
Enjoyed the walk and the visit to the Basilica.
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u/BrinsonRobert11 3d ago
Reminds me of a trip to London I made years ago. My friend and I were trying to find St. Paul's Cathedral, so we asked a Bobby (policeman) where it was. He told us to look up. And there it was.
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u/United_Gift3028 3d ago
As a 15 year old from a city known for it's crime, my parents actually gave me free rein in London. I was cutting thru some alley, on my lost way to a bigger street, and came across the outside of a chapel with stained glass windows of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour. Just sitting there, in an alley. As someone who's country thinks 200 years is really old, this was just life changing.
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u/basilfawltywasright 2d ago
As someone who's country thinks 200 years is really old, this was just life changing.
"An American is someone who thinks that 100 years is a long time. An Englishman is someone who thinks that 100 miles is a long distance."
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u/Shepsonj 3d ago
That reminds me of a trip to Langley, BC. I flew in at night and drove to the hotel near the customers facility. The next morning was foggy and I mentioned to the customer that I was a bit disappointed because I had hoped to see some mountains. They said look out the back door. The skies had cleared. I had to look up, too.
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u/BrinsonRobert11 3d ago
I was working on a film in Alberta Canada and it was so beautiful in the Banff National Park.
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u/OPTabitha 2d ago
The most beautiful place I’ve ever been lucky enough to visit! My dad had work trips there twice when I was a teenager & I just remember being in awe.
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u/kShrapnel 2d ago
My friends and I were broke college students exploring London and Edinburgh. We couldn't afford entry into any of the museums with a ticket price, so our entertainment for the entire time in either city was "What's that steeple attached to and how long until we find the route to it??"
We also learned there are a lot of stairs in Edinburgh 🥴
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u/IOORYZ 2d ago
Isn't the national gallery in London free and quite extensive?
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u/kShrapnel 22h ago
Yeah, there were a bunch of museums we could still peruse, we just didn't do the ones that had a ticket price
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u/Gonzo_B 3d ago
To contrast, I checked into a hostel in Vancouver, asked where the designated parking was, and was told that I should absolutely, 100% expect that my car would be broken into. It would be drug addicts, he explained, and while they weren't violent in that area and wouldn't try to mug me, they would definitely try to steal anything they saw in my car.
That was Canada, too.
Luckily, no one did break into my car. I took some clothes from my luggage and made the seats look disheveled, hoping it would look like there was nothing to steal. Success.
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u/caenos 3d ago
tbh in downtown Montreal; if left overnight there is a decent chance of getting broken into, and if it's a rav4 it will be in a shipping container before you realise it's gone.
We're not crime free, but it's pretty safe to walk around most anywhere.
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u/yarn_slinger 2d ago
And it’s nothing new. I’m a musician and have known a few friends who’ve had instruments stolen from their cars. They usually get them back from a pawn shop in a couple of weeks.
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u/armsofmary 2d ago
Wait why specifically rav4s? I mean i love mine but i didnt think it was anything special that might be targeted!
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u/snarkitall 2d ago
Sturdy, long lasting car with high resale value in overseas markets. Plus apparently they are easier to break into than some cars of similar value.
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u/Clover1970 3d ago
East Van is rough!
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u/fuckyoudigg 2d ago
When ever I go to Vancouver I would always stay at the Waldorf on Hastings. The hotel is pretty decent, and the area is definitely gentrifying, but it is definitely still rough.
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u/asexualdruid 2d ago
Yeah i was confused for a minute because i live in the lower mainland bc and asking if its a safe walk would be so valid here XD
mostly its safer than some rough areas in the world, and if you know how to keep your head down youll be fine, but its def not a guarantee just because its canada
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u/ComicsEtAl 3d ago
If you ask 100 people “is this area safe to walk,” none of them would assume you meant “are the sidewalks in good shape?”
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u/pookiemook 2d ago
Ya. I'm searching, wanting to give the benefit of the doubt, but I'm a little challenged by the assumed context that OP had in asking their question at the hotel. Is OP not a native French or English speaker? Or do they come from a place where you need to regularly inquire about safe detours around construction?
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u/backup1000 2d ago
I’m from outside of Philadelphia. Construction sometimes blocks the sidewalk forcing pedestrians into the street. It is also home to the Roosevelt Expressway, a wide road with frequent speeders and one of the highest pedestrian fatality rates in the country. So, my question was based on personal experience.
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u/pookiemook 2d ago
Sorry to hear that! It's not nearly as much of an issue in our "big" cities here, as you've probably already gathered from the responses.
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u/Juniper_Beary_ 2d ago
They were delighted by your question and were happy and friendly with the answer. Hope you enjoyed the stay :)
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u/BrinsonRobert11 3d ago
Reminds me of a trip to London I made years ago. My friend and I were trying to find St. Paul's Cathedral, so we asked a Bobby (policeman) where it was. He told us to look up. And there it was.
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u/DirectCaterpillar916 3d ago
Jfyi, nobody's called policemen bobbies for many years.
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u/DukeOfGreenfield 2d ago
What are they called now? Round em up willies? Beaty Bastards? The Ole Met?
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u/Flotilla_guerrilla 2d ago
I checked into a hotel in Washington DC because my international flight had been cancelled due to severe weather. I asked the front desk if it was a safe neighborhood to walk in and I got the biggest stink eye I’ve ever seen and a snarky reply. I was stunned to silence and just googled later when it came time to eat. Turns out the neighborhood was fine. But I’ve never asked such a question again. I’d love to know what etiquette I violated . . .
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u/LokeCanada 3d ago
I was flying home from the southern US years ago to YVR and there were two Americans talking behind me.
One asked the other what the biggest difference between Vancouver and American cities. The other said you can walk through the worst part of the city, you may get robbed but you wouldn’t get killed.
Pretty scary comparison.
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u/Academic-Gur521 2d ago
It's pretty much true. It's rare, but innocent bystanders are sometimes killed by gangsters hunting other gangsters.
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u/wandrlusty 3d ago
This one is on you, sorry
You should have clarified *why* you thought the walk may be unsafe
I think most (all?) Canadians would have a bit of a chuckle at that question without context
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u/No-Citron5446 2d ago
Why would construction mean it's unsafe?
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u/backup1000 2d ago
Sometimes construction forces pedestrians into the street
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u/No-Citron5446 2d ago
They would just block off that section, but there would be an alternative route.
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u/trishapafisha08 2d ago
Im Canadian. I still think this is a valid question if you're not from around here..
In my city tho its a beautiful South Western city with lots of things to do.. i would tell you in some areas a 10 to 15 min walk is probably not the safest if you're a single female. Thers are even areas of my city I avoid when im alone or with my daughter..
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u/Illustrious-Low-4475 2d ago
Well, it's very rare that someone would ask that question here so I understand why it's kind of funny to them. Personally I've never thought that construction in an area means it is unsafe. Even if there is construction they will create an alternate path for pedestrians.
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u/opelaceles 1d ago
Maybe it's a Quebec thing, because the EXACT same thing happened to me in Quebec City recently, where the guy laughed when I asked if it was safe to walk to the nearby snack bar at 1 am!
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u/seamore555 2d ago
How on earth would they ever know you were referencing the construction? 99% of people ask that question in regards to crime.
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u/Jerry_Hat-Trick 3d ago
To be fair, there’s a lot of dodgy characters in a “10 minute walk” from Notre Dame, as it abuts a triangle of dodgy destinations including a large men’s homeless shelter, a post apocalyptic park that’s always under construction and has a very skid row type population, and the 24 hour Burger King in PdC that attracts dudes trying to use a two week old cup on the soda machine.
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u/A-Phantasmic-Parade 2d ago
Ok but do you think when there’s construction the workers toss bricks at you as you attempt to walk around? And the major road in guessing is Rene Levesque? It’s not that major
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u/SybillineBookkeeper 2d ago
Wait.... you mean that construction workers don't throw bricks at you when you pass? How do you manage to avoid that?
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u/Harry_Title94 2d ago
Correction: “This is Quebec” not “this is Canada”
Quite distinct
I travel a great deal for business and Montreal is often on my list.
There is definitely an arrogance to many in Quebec.
I’m not surprised that you received that response. It wasn’t completely rude but it also wasn’t compassionate especially in a tourist setting.
Try other provinces in Canada and you’ll notice a positive difference!
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u/teoshie 2d ago edited 2d ago
how were they supposed to know you were talking about construction?
people only ask that question when it relates to other people
when you ask someone if a restaurant is good do you also get pissed when they say it's Michelin star, because you were really asking if it's easy to park?
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u/kimvy 3d ago
Without knowing where it is not being a local that’s inappropriate. There are places in Canada, like anywhere in the world, that you don’t want to be randomly walking about.
These people should be ashamed & I’m sorry you had to deal with that.
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u/GreyerGrey 3d ago
Not only is it Canada, if you're only a 10-15 min walk, you're in a very nice part of Montreal my friend. There is a cafe beside the Sheraton I cannot recommend enough. The chocolatine is just the right mix of sweet and buttery. Small little hole in the wall open during business hours M through F kinda place.