3 Easy Ways to Feel Safe and Keep Peepers from Peeping
Feel uncomfortable when your hotel room curtains do not close all the way?
My hotel room has a 3-inch gap in the curtain closure and the room overlooks a courtyard. So it’s easy to see into rooms, especially at night when the lights are on. I know … since I took a glance out the window to see how many other rooms could be peeped into.
For times like this when you want closure to the issue, a few things will work and all depends on what may be in your suitcase:
- Use duct tape to tape the curtain panels closed. A small amount of duct tape wrapped around a pencil and tossed into your bag before you travel is a good pre-emptive measure.
- Use a chip clip to pull the curtains closed. Again, this needs forethought to have a multi-purpose clip in your bag … the type of clips typically sold to keep bags of chips or snacks closed.
- Use a slacks hanger from the closet. Assuming the hotel hangers are not permanently affixed to the closet rod (said hotels are usually off my list once I find this!), a slacks hanger does the trick!
Option 3 worked perfectly for me in my current hotel room. I’m now comfortable in my room sitting at the desk knowing the courtyard peepers will have to find another place to peep.
To receive a free copy of our ebook, 70 Secrets to Safe Travel — Because Your Life Can Change in a Heartbeat, and for more travel savvy info to help you travel smarter, safer and with more enjoyment, visit SmartWomenTravelers.com and PearlsofTravelWisdom.com. Watch for my new book, Business Travel Success – How to Reduce Stress, Be More Productive and Travel with Confidence, being published by Morgan James in early 2012.
I always keep a couple of plastic clothes pins in my suitcase; they come in handy for a variety of things. Including clipping the curtains closed – no peepers and no bright light too early in the morning, either!
My wife is obsessed with any cracks of light peeking through the curtains, option 3 is a great suggestion when I forget binder clips.
About a decade ago I was staying at the Doubletree in Rockville (now sold and rebranded) and was walking back from the concierge lounge to my room when I saw through open curtains a female guest getting up out of bed. She had apparently forgotten to close them.
When I got to my room I called her room and told her I was in the room next door and that I could see in as I walked by and that she should close the curtains. It was said in as polite and apologetic way as I could. She responded with 5-alarm anger calling me a pervert, etc.
Ten or 15 minutes later the hotel security guy knocked on my door and told me that the hotel was ejecting me for harassing a guest and that I shouldn’t come back to Doubletree again (not a problem). When I tried to tell them what happened, they said that unless I packed and left immediately, they’d call the police.
I did the personal risk analysis and decided to leave. He said/she said always leaves doubt and avoidance was the path that made the most sense.
No such similar event has happened to me again, but my experience says look away and then forget it. That’s the price for over-reaction. Unfortunately, it is paid by others down the road.
Steve