We’ve all been tourists at some point in our lives. So we’ve all experienced the disoriented feeling that comes from being in a new place, sometimes leading to embarrassing moments. With our winter mountain weather, visitors have more room for mistakes, such as when someone put chains on the rear wheels of a front-wheel drive Honda.
Below is a list of real questions tourists have asked or situations they’ve been embroiled in, when visiting our beautiful area. You really can’t make up this stuff…
It’s also likely you have fielded some downright silly questions from tourists. Send them in to editor@moonshineink.com. We’ll be running another list in our Summer Photo Annual, publishing Aug. 13 to Sept. 17.
What time does the 10 a.m. lesson begin?
Which way to the top of the mountain?
Call to 911:
Question: How far down does the snow fall?
Answer: To the ground
What will the weather be like in six months?
Question: What is the weather like?
Answer: It’s snowing on the mountain.
Question: Well, is it cold?
(In Squaw Valley) Can we get a lake view?
(At Northstar) How much do the free lessons cost?
(On the West Shore) Why can’t we have a room facing the sunset?
Why don’t you guys have Alaskan crabs in the Lake?
This snow is ruining my vacation! How can you ski when its snowing out?
A local responded to the woman outside Safeway who was pitching a fit because it had snowed six inches on her car while she was shopping: ‘I don’t understand it; last year it just snowed at the ski areas, this year it is snowing everywhere!’ [She swung on him, but he dodged!]
To keep tourists from parking in a freshly plowed driveway, there was a sign that said, ‘Parking $60.’
Explanation to the Truckee Court Judge, when a trucker was cited for poor brakes and no chains, while carrying munitions from Herlong over Donner Summit to Alameda: ‘Ah guess we don’t have them laws in Arkansaw.’
Argument to Truckee Donner Public Utility District: ‘I don’t use my cabin in the winter; why should I pay a standing water charge?’[Answer: Ever consider water availability for Fire Protection for that cabin?]
Call to Heavenly dispatch:
Caller: What’s the weather like?
Dispatch: I don’t have windows. I’m sorry – I can’t tell you. Where are you calling from?
Caller: Caesar’s
Dispatch: What floor are you on?
Caller: 11th
Dispatch: You’re about 1,000 feet higher than I am. Look out the window.
Question at the Blue Coyote:
Tourist: How do I get to Squaw (from the Blue Coyote in Truckee)?
Server gives directions
Tourist: That’s the wrong way. It’s different than what I was told by PlumpJack.
Can you change the carpet color?
Question to Chain Monkey: ‘I understand why you charge to put chains on; why do you charge to take them off?’
It isn’t just the visitors:
• At a Ski Area Management Team Meeting where the top managers were griping so much about their ski customers, the GM said, ‘Yes, we’d like them to just put their cash in an envelope and send it to us; until then, we probably should solve some of these problems.’
• A homeowner beat up a plow driver for berming him in; and both public and private plow drivers spent the rest of the winter bringing snow from blocks around to fill his driveway [he moved away].
• A Caltrans employee was famous for goofing off while on duty, so some of his co-workers waited until he was asleep, threw a sheet over his truck, and then called him on the radio with ‘Is it snowing up there?’ and his startled reply, ‘My God, I’m buried – call everybody out!!’
