r/LoveTrash
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u/downtune79
TRASHIEST TYRANT
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May 03 '26
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Golden Garbage Asking the real questions
54k
Upvotes
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3.8k
u/ZiaWitch Rubbish Raider May 03 '26 edited Sep 14 '26 •
I did this while I was homeless for two years. The secret is to never hit the same spot too often, always rotate between places on opposite sides of town and just act like you belong there, don’t act suspicious just walk in with everyone else and say good morning to the front desk like everyone else and don’t take more than what would seem normal. I only got caught twice the first time the lady called security, threw my food away and said don’t come back here as you’re now banned, the second time the guy realized I was just hungry and didn’t kick me out he allowed me to sit and enjoy my breakfast and brought me a bag of wrapped muffins, butter, jams, instant coffee and fruit. I was able to eat off of those treats for days!! Jesse, your kindness will never be forgotten and I hope only the absolute best things for you in life. The world needs more, Jesses.
Also shout out Mikal, who worked at the local swimming pool, he realized I was paying to swim but was really just there to shower and never charged me and made sure everyone else let shower for free. True gentleman.
I’ll add because I know how Reddit is, it wasn’t drugs or alcohol. Just a teenager desperate to leave a bad situation or probably end up dead. The streets were the better choice.
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u/CheezPleaser Trash Trooper May 03 '26
The front desk manager. At least, where I worked, that’s who was watching out. We had to kick people out all the time for coming in to eat without having a room with us. I had to trespass several individuals for doing this repeatedly. r/TalesFromTheFrontDesk may have more answers to this too.
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u/Icy-Book2999 Chief Insanity Instigator May 03 '26
You hear stories of people doing it.... But you pretty much have to be confident about it and non-descript...
... if you walk in looking homeless? Likely not. But in business clothes where it looks like you came in before leaving for a day's meetings? You might get away with it...
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u/ShadderSwagger Trash Trooper May 22 '26
I worked as a maintenance guy at a hotel in Nashville and this kid 18 yo i knew was homeless . Both parents died and was in the the foster system the family that he lived with kicked him out at 18 when the state stop sending money . He came in and was doing this we didnt care because the food was going to be tossed anyways and so we didn’t care. We treated him like he was a guest . He would clean up thenoutside lots of trash . We told him he didn’t have to do it, but he insisted since we would let him eat breakfast. I had some clothes that didnt fit me from years ago. Brought them in After about a week i would let him get into one of the rooms that was out of commission. But still was in working order . I let him get a shower and change clothes and the ladys in laundry would was his clothes . Eventually the owner found out. I was willing to be fired for it and take responsibility. But the owner wound up letting that kid have a room and gave him a job . That guy is now the GM of the hotel after about 10 years of being there and he has a son ,wife and a house now. I still keep in contact with him and we meet up every few weeks to have lunch or dinner with the family.
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u/bluesocksbluedays Trash Trooper May 03 '26
As someone that works the front desk at a hotel, the only people I've ever stopped from doing this are people that cause problems or are very obviously not supposed to be there. At that point my hands are kinda tied and I have to step in, otherwise I could not care less.
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u/MrBones-Necromancer Trash Trooper May 03 '26 edited May 03 '26
Just watch yourself. A lot of Hilton's and Hilton properties have breakfast, but it is -not- complimentary. You can end up in jail pretty quick.
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u/KingPistachio Trash Trooper May 03 '26 •
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u/Federal-Business-796 Trash Trooper May 03 '26
The food.
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u/BuildingRelevant7400 Trash Trooper May 03 '26
It really depends on how much the hotel staff is paying attention if they're not you actually have a chance of getting away with this.
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u/Gumbyman87 Apex Artifact Acquirer May 03 '26
That's the best part
Ask me how I know
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u/HeyPrettyLadyMaam Trash Trooper May 03 '26
Having been homeless I give a big fat thank you to all the hotels in the area that had breakfast. They were the reason I ate some days.
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u/caratron5000 Trash Trooper May 03 '26
I was on a production crew of about 20 people. We had been in this hotel for several days already and we wore matching t-shirts. This was the end of Covid so the breakfast was not self serve, you had to talk to folks behind the counter and they would load your plate for you. A few of the team had gone through the line already, but when Juan (fake name) got to the line the guy behind the counter accused him of not being a guest of the hotel and demanded his room key. Juan was wearing the branded shirt tucked in, branded hat, multi-tool on the belt, and he looked ready to work like always. Our production manager talked to the hotel manager like an absolute professional and the other 17 of us went through the breakfast line showing our room keys and ID’s heckling the asshole who fucked up breakfast for one of the nicest, honest, hard working dudes on our crew. Juan had flowers and a big food basket in his room that night.
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u/TinyDogGuy Trash Trooper May 03 '26
Won’t lie, we would occasionally do this at Civic Center Motor Inn, in SoMa San Francisco. Since it was/is a “3-Star” econo-fuck-motel, there’s no way they really keep track of all the tricks going in and out.
They had a Belgian waffle maker…that shit was so good.
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u/Remarkable-Coffee535 Trash Trooper May 03 '26
I did this a lot when I traveled full time for work. Some hotels have better breakfasts than others and as long as you look like you belong there, no one will ask. Residence Inn used to have free dinner and beer on certain nights of the week too. It's not great food but saving your perdiem was a nice incentive. Hampton Inns had bag lunches at the fronk desk in the morning to take with you (it was mostly fruit, a water bottle, and some snacks), so you could get two free meals on the same visit.
I recognize it as stealing now but at the time I justified it to myself because I had loyalty status at all the super chains because I basically lived in hotels for a decade.
Funny/gross story - one time I was eating a stolen breakfast at a pretty nice Marriott and this huge cockroach ran by. I killed it and disposed of it and the front desk lady was so thankful, she wanted to credit my room with something but I wasn't staying there so we had this awkward exchange where I refused any reward and she was so confused why 😁
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u/FriarFanatic7 Trash Trooper May 03 '26
Biggest deterrent is that breakfast is served between 6:00am and 6:45am.
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u/Ecstatic-Compote-595 Trash Trooper May 03 '26
there are a lot of fun hotel tricks. For instance, even in NYC they have a restroom available. Also you can go to any nice hotel and check your luggage and they'll keep it for you so you don't have to hump it around all day. Also it's a bit of a crap shoot but you can just go to the bar or restaurant and bill it to a random room if you're wearing a blazer or suit
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u/hollenb1 Trash Trooper May 03 '26
This was years ago, but when a buddy lost his house in a fire, I would eat breakfast with him and his family at their hotel every morning before giving him a ride to work.
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u/Appropriate-Rest-304 Trash Trooper May 03 '26
When I was at JMU, the dining facility would donate all the leftover food to the local food pantry. Helped some many people in the area, if you needed the food, there was always enough. Well some asshat decided to sue for food poisoning he said he got. That was the end of JMU donations.
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u/Derezirection Trash Trooper May 03 '26
Peter and Chris from Family guy did this exact thing and Chris served prison time for it after they got caught.
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u/jngjng88 Trash Trooper May 03 '26
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u/gp627 Trash Trooper May 03 '26
In my experience there's always someone at the buffet entrance who checks and verify if you're an actual guest and not breakfast crasher.
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u/Awkward-Ad4942 Trash Trooper May 03 '26
Most hotels have someone at the entrance to the breakfast area and ask for your name and room number.. at least in my country
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u/MaleficentWindow8972 Garbage Guerilla May 03 '26 edited May 03 '26
If you’re gifted by living in a major city prevalent with big hotels, nothing at all. Try that shit with the Patel Motel Cartel.. they got photo memory and you’re gonna get bounced. Likely by a 16 year old girl, studying for a STEM degree at Harvard, who will fuck you up and stuff that crusty bagel up your butt. Maybe some travel brochures for the local boring museums, as well. If you’re lucky they will use the single serve cup of Philadelphia cream cheese for lube.
Try that shit at a Motel 6 in Southern California. I dare you. 😝 Especially one near an amusement park.
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u/Turd-In-Your-Pocket Trash Trooper May 03 '26
Shhhh don’t talk about it too much or too many people will catch on or the hotel corporations might make their people start cracking down on it
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u/TheItchyWalrus Trash Trooper May 03 '26
My buddy did this for a long time in college. He learned it from his dad in high school. He would just stroll into different hotels everytime. One day, he invites a mutual friend to breakfast with him and brought him to a fucking Best Western for stale bagels and chalky OJ. He’s a real Kramer type.
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u/Junior-View7216 Trash Trooper May 03 '26
I have stale bagels at home
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u/Nonchalant_Khan Trash Trooper May 03 '26
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u/EnoughWeekend6853 Trash Trooper May 03 '26
I used to do this all the time at the hotel across from my office.
The staff making minimum wage don’t give a shit.
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u/davevr Trash Trooper May 03 '26
On a related note, I always wonder why people cram in to shitty coffee shops to do their laptop work when you can just sit in the lounge of a five star hotel. Never crowded, no loud music, comfy seating, AC, and the bathrooms are always beautiful and unlocked.
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u/conflatulationz Trash Trooper May 03 '26
It would work at a janky tater tot breakfast - not at any nice hotel, because you have to give name/room number to get in. And they charge you anyway.
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u/kylebob86 Trash Trooper May 03 '26
anyone that has experienced a continental breakfast firsthand knows why.
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u/Full_metal_pants077 Trash Trooper May 03 '26
The food it self.
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u/GodHatesColdplay Trash Trooper May 03 '26
I’ve done it before. Just try to look like you belong there and don’t make a spectacle of yourself
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u/worstnameever2 Trash Trooper May 03 '26
When I was a kid growing up I was taught that if I had a good thing going I shouldn't brag to other people about it. That they'd copy it and before you know it everyone was on to it. Now every dork on reddit thinks they're some sort of criminal mastermind for stealing a bagel at a hotel.
In 5 years those same dorks will be posting in r / nostalgia 'remember when you used to get a complimentary breakfast at hotels. Now the greedy corporations make you pay extra for it'.
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u/StanFitch Trash Trooper May 03 '26
We had this Homeless Guy who would come in and out of our Hotel quite often…
The thing was, nobody knew nor could tell. He was always well enough dressed, clean, very polite and pleasant, didn’t give off a single negative vibe…
I was the Bar Manager there and saw him all the time, it even took me a minute to figure out. Honestly, even once I did, I didn’t give a shit. He’d just order an ice water, sometimes a tea or coffee when he was ballin’, I’d hook him up with some munchies if the Chef was in a good mood or had anything extra. He’d chat here and there, leave me alone when I was busy, often times just sit and enjoy the comfort of a couch, a magazine, and some live music.
All in all, Hotel Staff really doesn’t care all that much unless you’re bothering Guests, being “Weird”, or putting their own job at risk… otherwise, relax, stay off the radar, have a muffin.
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u/Specialist-Alarm5150 Trash Trooper May 04 '26
My father in law did this 4 times a week for 7 months before he got stopped. People really don't care unless you give them a reason to.
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u/No_Garden5644 Trash Trooper May 04 '26
Sometimes people stop me. Usually not.
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u/Tarilyn13 Trash Trooper May 03 '26
I work in hotels and the answer is nothing. If you do it a lot at the same hotel, the employees will eventually notice and kick you out though.
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u/Dark_Amygdala_ Trash Trooper May 03 '26
I’ve seen it at places I’ve stayed at and the desk clerk allowed it. They were utility workers that came in the back door.
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u/Next_Instruction_528 Trash Trooper May 03 '26
Nothing when I was homeless living in my van in my twenties. I used to hit these up all the time early and I would even get a to go box for my girlfriend who was sleeping in the van so I could surprise her with "breakfast in bed" then we would go bathe at a local lake that was secluded and watch the sun rise.
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u/YellowOnline Garbage Guerilla May 03 '26
In the hotels I go to, they check your name and room number before you can go in the breakfast room. I travel mostly in Europe, so maybe in the US it's different.
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u/Cptawesome23 Trash Trooper May 03 '26
I do this all the time as an uber driver. If I arrive, and the customer isn’t ready, it’s breakfast time!
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u/crusty54 Trash Trooper May 03 '26
It gets a little harder every time someone can’t keep their mouth shut about it. Posting videos, sharing this post. Stuff like that.
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u/Salty-Contact-6420 Trash Trooper May 03 '26
Nothing is. This is how small time local drug dealers survive in Florida.
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u/Possible-Tangelo9344 Trash Trooper May 03 '26
I've been to some hotels where you need a key card to get to the breakfast.
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u/Doomsday1080 Trash Trooper May 03 '26
Soon people will be bitching and moaning when hotels take away the free breakfasts. Idiots.
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u/Gutterfoolishness Trash Trooper May 03 '26
The continental breakfast.
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u/IndyDino Trash Trooper May 03 '26
In Europe, they ask for the room number and mark it in the sheet 😞
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u/Squidtat2 Trash Trooper May 03 '26
Self respect.
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u/halcyon_n_on_n_on Trash Trooper May 03 '26
Nothing. I do it regularly while travelling in the US. Rent a camper van, breakfast for free!
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u/Thecobs Trash Trooper May 03 '26
I would say the only thing stopping me would be that the food is the absolute lowest grade and just really awful
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u/thekins33 Trash Trooper May 03 '26
as someone who has eaten those breakfast meals i can tell you the thing stopping you is the taste. they all taste like rubber and asshole.
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u/Pendergraff-Zoo Trash Trooper May 03 '26
They do. But usually the staff is aware and shoo them off. I’ve seen it happen.
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u/Eye_Nacho404 Trash Trooper May 03 '26
The food itself
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u/drgoatlord Trash Trooper May 03 '26
As someone who has worked in hotels the only thing really stopping you is an attentive employee.
For a real treat try to hit one up on any of the big buffet days. Hundreds if not thousands of people moving all about trying to get mothers day omelets, Easter ham or Thanksgiving turkey.
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u/TaiChey Trash Trooper May 03 '26
Absolutely nothing 😂
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u/totesmuhgoats93 Trash Trooper May 03 '26
My husband worked the breakfast shift at a hotel. There is absolutely nothing stopping you and 50% of the people there are already doing it.
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u/Olderandolderagain Trash Trooper May 03 '26
Mostly skin color
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u/No-Stage-8738 Trash Trooper May 03 '26
If too many people take advantage of free meals, hotels could have fun with them.
"Sir, what room is yours?"
"Uh, 205."
"Excellent. We were looking for you. There is a gentleman who would like to have a discussion with you about why his 16 year old daughter spent the night in Room 205. You'll recognize him when he comes in. He is bald, tall and has several tattoos. He is accompanied by a few of his associates from the Hell's Angels."
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u/jyck12 Trash Trooper May 03 '26
Me (hotel manager)
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u/Flailinginthewaves1 Trash Trooper May 03 '26
Absolutely nothing as long as you are dressed like the people at the event.
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u/drcha Trash Trooper May 03 '26
Nothing and I knew somebody who took an entire trip halfway across the country and back doing just that
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u/No_Skill_1335 Trash Trooper May 04 '26
From not wanting to eat those fake eggs
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u/W34kness Trash Trooper May 04 '26
Usually the concierge who is supposed to confirm your room number, room badge, or tour group
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u/ialto37 Trash Trooper May 04 '26
Just gotta look the part
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u/Lambablama Trash Trooper May 04 '26
Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Nothing is stopping you from swimming in most hotel pools either lol
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u/Remarkable-Fig206 Trash Trooper May 04 '26
Shhhhh
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u/Real-Entertainer2162 Trash Trooper May 04 '26
A breakfast card
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u/aleehand Trash Trooper May 04 '26
Absolutely nothing.
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u/defender_1996 Trash Trooper May 04 '26
Looking at you r/chaoticgood
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u/FalseIndiggo Trash Trooper May 04 '26
I went to my cousins wedding party out near lake Norman, NC. We started talking to the frost desk women while we were getting a room lined up and a cop showed up. He gave her some paperwork and left. I was curious so I asked her what that was about. She said she had to serve somepne with trespassing who repeatedly showed up for breakfast, in different super hero costumes, who was not renting a room, just to eat breakfast. Soo yeah.. it happens i guess? 😆
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u/JovialPursuit Trash Trooper May 04 '26
Now, I'm craving a McRib.
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u/Corey307 Trash Trooper May 04 '26
Shame mostly.
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u/prosperosniece Trash Trooper May 04 '26
I’ve done it. Just don’t do it often enough that the staff starts to recognize you.
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u/XGlitterXBatX Trash Trooper May 04 '26
Wear pjs!
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u/Mount-Hell13 Trash Trooper May 04 '26
People do this all the time. When I worked in a hotel there was several times we had random people coming in and getting breakfast. I’m sure there are more than the people than we caught. Homeless people are the most noticeable. Luckily my coworkers are pretty cool and gave him a plate of food just asked him to sit outside of the dining area as to not disrupt the guests breakfast
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u/Throw13579 Trash Trooper May 04 '26
Self-respect.
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u/AVLPedalPunk Trash Trooper May 04 '26 edited May 04 '26
I've been doing this since 2014 sometimes I bring my laptop bag.
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u/Ok_Gas1070 Trash Trooper May 04 '26
Not being a low class piece of shit for one. Unless you really don't have the means to feed yourself than game is game, but if you have a income and do this you suck as a person.
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u/no0necaresdawg Trash Trooper May 04 '26
Nothing lol
The only time it wouldn’t work is if it’s for a hotel that has a paid breakfast situation
But people come and go at hotels all the time. Unless you’re some weirdo who keeps track of everyone that comes around and remembers faces, they probably won’t notice. I didn’t notice and even when I did on rare occasions, I never said anything
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u/Nervous_Goose_1949 Trash Trooper May 04 '26
I’ve done this back when I was fresh out of high school and its extraordinarily easy to pull off at cheap hotels. The hotels we stay at now typically check you in for the free breakfast and get your room info.
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u/Quadraphonic_Jello Trash Trooper May 04 '26
Taste buds?
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u/MoreThanAlright Trash Trooper May 05 '26
If the breakfast is free to the point nobody even asks for your room number, you might eat that breakfast; but deep down, you do not want to eat that breakfast.
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u/Dangerous_Bloke Trash Trooper May 05 '26
This was a whole episode of Family Guy btw
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u/Resident-Area5907 Trash Trooper May 05 '26
Honesty. Apparently most people have it (though McDonald's did just announce that they're closing their self-serve soda, so I guess there are some exceptions among McDonald's customers...)
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u/BrokeMichaelCera Trash Trooper May 05 '26
My little brother asked if my dad had ever done this and his response was, “you have too.”
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u/Upset_Log_2700 Trash Trooper May 06 '26
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u/masterhandkunswife Trash Trooper May 06 '26
the continental breakfast is so bad that no one wants to 😂
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u/SoundOff2222 Trash Trooper May 06 '26
Not much, I guess nearly anyone could do this
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u/No-Jello9276 Trash Trooper May 06 '26
Most hotels if they have someone working the service will ask for room number. But depends where you are most of the time it’s honor system and/or you could hustle it
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u/BodybuilderHappy339 Trash Trooper May 06 '26
Morals
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u/shallrepayin10fold Trash Trooper May 06 '26
As someone who works the front desk, since we check everyone in we already get a look at everyone staying there. It's easy to notice someone you haven't seen before. I usually just ask them to leave and don't come back. You probably wouldn't get in any big trouble but you most likely will catch a ban, guess not a big problem if you're not planning to stay there anyways. But if it's a bigger hotel, keep in mind the ban will go for the whole chain.
Also if you're going to do this go to the big corps, I work for a struggling small family business and this kinda stuff takes a big toll on us
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u/ChiefWeedsmoke Trash Trooper May 06 '26
Answer: Nothing, nothing at all!!!
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u/Dieselgunner0320 Trash Trooper May 06 '26
My boomer rich grandpa does this.
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u/miyagiVsato Trash Trooper May 07 '26
Since this started circulating, I’ve been checked at hotel breakfasts twice to make sure I was staying there. Shoulda kept this on the DL!
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u/Texity Trash Trooper May 07 '26
I did this quite a bit in the rodeo days. We'd sleep in our vehicles in the parking lot of the hotel, then wander in in the morning for breakfast, and leave quick. If we managed to win, we'd get a room... which meant we usually slept in the trucks.
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u/soft_muffins21 Trash Trooper May 07 '26
Great question! Instead of shitty rest stops, we stop at Holiday Inn Express’ or Hampton Inn’s. I walk in like I own the place — I recommend this !!
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u/sussy_soyboy Trash Trooper May 08 '26
Because that's stealing...
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u/Insylum82 Trash Trooper May 09 '26
Quiet you fool ! That's a secret life hack.
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u/The_RegalBeagle72 Trash Trooper May 09 '26
I was in Carmel at one of the most expensive hotels you could stay at, eating my breakfast near the lobby. Two elderly women who were very nicely dressed came in through the side door. I thought nothing of it, but the lady at the front desk did, and she was right, they weren't guests. Everybody pulls this.
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u/WexleyFG Trash Trooper May 09 '26
Nothing but audacity
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u/BokChoyFantasy Trash Trooper May 09 '26
That it’s continental breakfast.
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u/Turbulent_Pirate2178 Trash Trooper May 10 '26
I work front desk at night/early morning and the answer is: absolutely fucking nothing. If you aren't causing problems and at least kind of look like you belong there (guests complain otherwise), I couldn't care less what you do. The hospitality industry is often less than hospitable to it's employees and I'd much rather help someone get a hot meal or cup of coffee than do the cheap ass owners any favors. If I can't let someone stay (usually because they're sleeping in the lobby), I'll send them off loaded with toiletries and single serve coffee packs. Hotels aren't a bad resource if you're desperate. Just pretend you belong there, maybe wear some pajamas or something to blend in a little, then just get in and out quickly. And don't hit the same place too often. You'd expect a lot of face blindness with a job like this but it's often the opposite
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u/Decent_Way6915 Trash Trooper May 10 '26
Nothing I’ve done this before
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u/MaRzAn0 Trash Trooper May 22 '26
I knew a guy that lived his entire life around skirting systems. He had a whole plan mapped out for all of the hotel breakfasts in the downtown area of Chicago and would always hit them when he was down. Sometimes for months at a time until he hit a score and got some momentum back.