Flyertalk Readers Don’t Get My Humor

Flyertalk readers don’t get my humor. And, judging by the comments I receive on other posts, many others do not either. Those of you who are down with TPOL know that I write with a degree of cynicism and sarcasm. It takes the right type of individual to appreciate my humor and, dare I say, intellect.

Yearly, I put out my Festivus Airing of Blog Grievances (see 2015, 2016) which is an opportunity for me to strike back at those that have wronged me throughout the year. Like Christmas in July, Festivus 2017 has come a bit early. Given the uproar in this Flyertalk thread, I have to reply to the silly comments in response to my Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome post and my Olive Garden post. Mind you, I’m not responding because I care what people think. I am responding because it is funny how people take things literally.

Let’s begin:

lwildernorva writes: Is this guy for real? Yes, there are rich people who really do pay 29 euro for drinks. And no, most who stay in the Park Hyatt Vendome don’t search the streets of Paris for the nearest McDonald’s so they can bring food back to their rooms: http://thepointsoflife.boardingarea….sine-birthday/.

And you rarely see the rich gushing over eating Olive Garden in Manhattan: http://thepointsoflife.boardingarea….-italian-food/.

I know it’s a complete (and I mean, a complete) waste of my time to read this mess, but it’s the train wreck I seem to want to watch right now.

TPOL’s response:

• You’re defending paying 29 euros for a drink? You don’t stay rich being dumb. (reference MC Hammer)
• McDonald’s: Searching the streets? I’m looking for late night food and McDonald’s was open. I don’t even like McDonald’s (BK is better), but how did you miss the humor of staying at a 5-star hotel and eating McDonald’s in the room?
• Olive Garden: Now I know you don’t get my comedy. The whole post was 100% satirical.
• Complete waste of your time? Thank you for reading. I appreciate the clicks.

beachmouse: While there is no excuse for the Olive Garden post..

TPOL’s Response: Glad you weren’t at my last stand-up routine. It’s a joke!

lwildernorva (again): If you’re going to Paris to save money, there’s no reason to stay in the Vendome. Otherwise, you’re just some ludicrous little kid trying to look like a big shot.

Oh. . .

TPOL’s Response: Buying McDonald’s and parading it through the lobby goes to show how much I care about being a big shot. The McNuggets were great.

lwildernorva (time and time again): Look like you’ve been there before.

TPOL’s Response: The line is “act like you’ve been there before.” Perhaps read more of my blog and see I’ve been there and there and there and there before (see my Travel Map). I don’t have to front to impress the concierge.

GUWonder: An American audience usually has more limited paid vacation than a British or German audience has. And when time is more limited for exploring and you’re in a major city with lots of options outside the door that perhaps provide much better value for money, it seems like the order of the day would be to get out and stop wasting time in the hotel room, right?

TPOL’s Response: I have my own law practice so I don’t have the restrictions of paid vacation. I don’t spend my time in the hotel room (see Travel Guides). Also, many of these comments incorrectly portray Americans as being sheltered tourists. While there are a lot of Clark W. Griswold’s, there are also many intrepid American adventurers.

nineworldseries: In a Boarding Area full of complete garbage “blogs,” it’s actually pretty impressive that this guy has managed to stand out as the most garbage of them all.

TPOL’s Response: Thank you!

lwildernorva: I get the impression that the main reason he went to Paris was to go to the Vendome, not that he had a strong desire to go to Paris.

TPOL’s Response: Finally, this person says something accurate. If the reader actually followed my Round the Atlantic Trip Report, he or she would know that I was transiting through Paris to get to Marseille for my birthday, a city that most travelers overlook because it’s Paris! Paris! Paris!

And that’s as much as I could read from that thread. Who are these people? Hopefully one of them will buy me a 29 euro drink and teach me to be more sophistimicated.

In the meantime, I’m off to the Red Lobster for a taste of Maine.

Speaking of McDonald’s, be sure to read my Ugly Hungry American post where I ate 4 Big Macs in Prague in a matter of minutes.