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When you work at a hotel, you never know what kinds of guests are going to walk through your door. While you can’t judge a book by its cover, it’s easy for first impressions about hotel guests to be completely wrong.

In this story, one hotel front desk worker shares all the red flags they ignored when a family checked into the hotel. As the night got crazier, it got to the point where the only option was to kick out the family.

Looking back, the employee isn’t too happy with how it all worked out for the adult child who was there with his parents, but he has no regrets about kicking out the family.

Keep reading for all the details.

The Abusive U-Haul Dad Get Kicked Out

I work in a small hotel chain in the Pacific Northwest Area. The chain is similar to the fictional hotel chain: Nights Outt & Suites. I work the evening shift 3-11 PM.

The night is quieter than usual, thanks to the winter season when this took place. I’m checking in guests, and it’s an amazing day so far. –Lot’s of downtime, I can sit in my chair, and surf the web online, etc.

Well, next thing I know, a U-Haul comes in, and there’s a family inside that wants to check into the hotel.

Here’s a description of this family.

Now, when I think redneck trash, these guys, especially the parents, fit the bill. –The father and mother both said as much themselves, too!

The father looked lanky and scruffy, hadn’t shaved in days. He wore a baseball cap and overalls. For all I know, he was the type that would hock a loogey into the nearest spittoon if he had the chance.

The wife had a faded pink sundress on, no bra, ratty gray hair, and was very proud of her heritage apparently.

They had a teenage son with them, who by my account, looked rather normal. He had unkempt hair, but was really despondent the entire time. (This is important later.)

It didn’t take long to see a red flag.

They said they were traveling from Oregon and wanted to check out the PNW and rest here tonight.

Sure, no problem, I have plenty of room to spare.

Red Flag # 1:

Both the parents goad their despondent child to give me HIS credit card to pay for the reservation. They reserved two separate rooms for 1 night room + tax, plus a 50 dollar deposit each.

This seems so weird.

The kid was over 18, and the card matched his details.

The scary part was that the father was staring daggers at his son while he did this.

The kid only mumbled back to his parents, and said nothing to me the entire time.

The card authorized no problemo, and I checked them into their rooms.

These are some weird requests, but they didn’t seem weird to OP at the time.

The father specifically asked for their rooms to be separate.

Okay, sure.

As I’m checking them in, the mother asks if I have a “Black, non-clear trash bag.”

Thinking there’s no issues with that request, I provide them one. (This plays a part in The Aftermath part of the story.)

Then the dad called to report a problem.

Red flag #2:

Almost immediately upon check in, the father calls from #105, where he’s currently staying. He mentions that there’s a red blinking light on his phone, which is bothering him.

I tell him that I’ll investigate, and get right back to him.

We end the call amicably, and I research the problem.

The dad is pretty impatient.

Not 10 minutes later, while I’m helping other guests, I get a call back from him asking if I’d figured it out.

I told him no, that I was also dealing with other guests.

The father proceeds to gaslight me by saying: “Well, looks like they don’t have too many skilled people working out here, then. When are you gonna fix this?”

I’m here thinking that, sure, he insulted me, but it didn’t warrant anything just yet. I tell him I’m working on it.

Yikes! This is starting to get even crazier!

Red flag # 3: (DING DING DING! DNR TIME!)

While I’m still figuring out what the red light blinking on his phone means, the U-Haul father stops by the desk to request medical aid. He said that his son had accidentally cut himself inside his room and he needed bandages and, I’m not kidding you, he also asked if I had superglue to help treat the wound.

I immediately ask if the son’s okay, and if we needed to call 911.

The father basically waves this off, and I hand him the bandages that he wanted sans the superglue. I also wrote down the matter in my notes. (For Front Desk people, take notes often! Your notes will save your bacon.)

OP is starting to understand what’s going on.

By now, I’m starting to get a picture of what’s going on with the U-Haul family. However, I don’t have any proof of abuse, and there’s still nothing I could do at this point. All I know is that they are definitely DNR material.

But it’s not over yet!

Incident # 4:

U-Haul mom comes by the front desk two hours later, and requests a keycard for herself.

I’m really starting to seriously worry about this family.

Immediately following behind her is U-haul dad, who physically barricades himself between us. He’s telling her that she doesn’t need one, that she can’t have one, and to stop wasting her time.

Meanwhile, I’m getting some major manipulation vibes from U-Haul dad now.

In the end, through U-Haul Dad’s extreme coercion, the couple decides they don’t need a keycard after all.

Oh boy. I noted down the incident for future reference.

But there is an issue OP can resolve.

Incident # 5:

So, I’m still trying to figure out the issue about their phone, right?

U-Haul father had a legitimate complaint about this problem, so I texted my boss and she tells me it’s a message left on the phone by some other guests, and tells me how to clear the system of those messages.

Alright, problem solved! Right?

Right?!

But it wasn’t that easy.

No, because as soon as I call U-Haul dad with the good news, he says that the blinking red light is still there, and that I’m an idiot for saying the issue was fixed.

Flabbergasted and embarrassed, I apologize and tell him that we’ll clear it up in the morning when maintenance arrives.

He seems fine with that, but now my day is spoiled.

There was a completely different issue with a completely different guest.

Incident # 6: (The Trigger!)

For future reference, U-Haul son’s room is #112.

I was dealing with a guest regarding a completely separate issue, who happened to be Hispanic, in room #114. Evidently, the room was not properly cleaned by housekeeping, and I had to move them rooms.

Anyway, I get it sorted out and the guests are happy in their new room.

The dad seriously sounds crazy.

I come back to the front desk so I can browse reddit some more, and I get a call from U-Haul dad almost immediately: “Hey, I have some questions.” He says to me.

I respond by asking him what he needs. –

-What I get from him turns out to be accusations instead:

“Well, I saw you and my son talking to a bunch of mexicans. What were you guys doing together anyway, having some sort of mexican party? You know what, don’t answer that. You’ve been a liar ever since we checked in. In just a few minutes, we’re getting our things and I’m going to be asking for a full refund. Good luck having a job tomorrow.” (Keep in mind, I’m paraphrasing, but this is essentially what he says to me.)

That was the last straw.

He proceeds to hang up.

The son wasn’t even involved in the issue I described above!

Not only that, but he was being completely rude and butting in on problems not related to him at all.

In my mind, I’m going: Uh oh. Time to pull the plug.

Here’s what he decided to do.

So, I respond by:

Calling our local security. I tell them that I have some guests that I need kicked out of the building.

Cancelling both reservations (Including U-Haul son’s, unfortunately.)

Hyping myself up to explain my actions to this verbally aggressive jerk.

This is taking a while.

The Aftermath:

Well, U-Haul dad thankfully takes his sweet time before getting to the front desk.

About 10 minutes after the call, I notice U-Haul father and his son arguing very loudly outside. I don’t dare head out there, instead I just let them argue.

This is the first time I’ve seen U-Haul son acting assertively. I could tell that the son is NOT happy with what his dad is doing. So, I’m waiting inside patiently until one or both of them heads inside. –And I wait.

And wait.

It was impossible to wait forever.

Okay, 10 minutes pass and this situation is becoming untenable.

They keep yelling at each other, pacing about the parking lot, and making fools out of themselves.

I grab the mace in the desk, and prepare to tell them right then and there that they are not allowed on the property, to get their things, etc. I’m actually set on using the mace if I have to.

As soon as I step out, fate graces me once again, because security arrives too. “Thank God!” I say, and motion them to me.

I really feel bad for the son.

I pass by the son, now with a bandage on his arm, and he apologizes to me. –Saying that his father has a mental condition.

There’s no doubt about that, kid, I think.

However, I simply say: “Look, I’m not mad at you, but I’m mad at him”, and pass him by.

By now, U-Haul dad is at the parking lot. He says to me that he wants a refund, that this place is trash, this and that.

The security team sounds awesome.

I say to him that he needs to leave, pronto.

Let me tell you guys, our security team was on point.

Two of them intercepted us, and immediately had us explaining our stories to THEM, not to each other.

I tell the security officer interviewing me a dumbed down version of what I told you guys, and asked him to help me kick them off the property.

I read this next line in an accent.

The security guy, who I’ll dub Good Guy Greg answers back in the most New York accent that I’ve ever heard. “You want the guy off the property? No prob. I’ll let them know ASAP and we ain’t leaving until they’re gone.”

It was music to my ears.

According to Good Guy Greg Security, U-Haul dad threatened that he would be back to get his money.

Again, music to my ears.

Let’s see what the hotel rooms looked like.

After officially getting them off the property, I inspected both rooms.

I found two blood stained rags in U-Haul son’s room.

Inside of U-Haul parent’s room, I found the black trash bag I gave them covering the mirror inside the bedroom, and a jacket laid over the mirror of the bathroom.

Cigarette butts all over the place, too.

OP really regrets how it worked out for the son.

At this point, it definitely seemed like U-Haul dad wasn’t right in the head after all.

I had to charge the son’s card for a $250 smoking fee, and $20 for the bloody rags they left behind.

My only regrets during that entire story was the fact that it was obvious the parents were taking advantage of their son financially, mentally, and physically. I honestly hope he gets out of his parent’s control, because it’s not healthy for anybody.

I know hindsight is 20/20, but I really wish that it wasn’t the kid that was stuck footing the bill for his father’s unacceptable behavior that night.

That dad needs mental help.

Let’s see how Reddit responded to this story.

This person feels bad for the son too.

The dad might have Alzheimer’s.

The superglue request really wasn’t that crazy.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a woman who received a work email from a place she never even applied.

This person hopes the mom gets away too.

More than the son and mom getting away from the dad, they need to get the dad mental help that they are clearly not capable of providing themselves. I hope they’re really on their way to a mental health institution for the dad and that his belongings are in the U-Haul.

You never know what to expect at a hotel!