When you’re not white, chances are that you’ve encountered prejudice in one form or another, whether you are aware of it or not.

Unfortunately it often puts you at a disadvantage, but see how the woman in this story used prejudice to get a better hotel room.

How to maximize inconvenience to hotel management.

Counting transfers and flight time, it took me and my father 18 hours to get to NYC. We arrived for check-in and saw a raucous, some loud Germans are at the counter complaining about their rooms and being obnoxious about it.

My polite small Brazilian butt waited to get attention from someone, opened a smile and politely asked for my keys.

This is where the gloves come off.

The manager just pointed me to a Spanish-speaking employee, even though i was speaking English perfectly and I considered that a downgrade, as in “Talk to your own, I’m too good for you.”

Oh, I’m Brazilian and speak Portuguese, but just fell into “Latino” category. But ok, I was exhausted and really just wanted my keys.

Arriving at the floor I understood the drama. The walls were being painted, and the smell of paint was out of this world. We went to the room, to see if it was better, but it was horrific. I mean, no human being, and not my elderly father, could possibly sleep there.

So we went back to the lobby and the Germans and more guests were complaining. I wouldn’t outscream them and also I knew I was second-class guest to hotel staff.

She had something much better in mind.

Idea time. I went to the largest sofa in the main lobby. Opened our suitcases on the floor. Made a point to be as messy as possible, spreading our coats and objects. Took off my shoes and my father’s, took off all shoes from luggage and made a beeline crossing part of the lobby, so that people would have to walk around them.

Took off our socks and put them to dry on top of the leather armchairs. Then we both laid out on the couches, barefoot. The image of “classy.”

We didn’t have a room, right? So we might as well camp at the lobby!

In less than 10 minutes we had a key to another floor, smell-free, while the Germans were still complaining at the counter.

Here is what people are saying.

It can work!

Hey it’s beats paying lawyers.

The strength makes people freak out.

Empowering!

Many ways indeed.

This reminds me of something Key & Peele would do in a sketch.

If you enjoyed that story, read this one about a mom who was forced to bring her three kids with her to apply for government benefits, but ended up getting the job of her dreams.