No More Seedy Hotel Rooms For Me

February 15, 2012 | by Jason Hanson

Several years ago, when I was a lot younger, and had very little money, I ended up in Newark, New Jerseyfor business. If you’ve never been to Newark, it’s a lot like Baltimore City. And if you haven’t been to either, both places are pretty much dumps and you’re not missing much.

When I got to my hotel in Newark, the first thing that caught my eye was the bullet proof glass protecting the hotel clerk. When I approached the clerk, he didn’t speak much English and kept asking me “how many hours do you want?” I finally got through to him that I actually wanted to rent a room for the entire night. And yes, I did end up staying there. Like I said, I was younger and more foolish.

Recently, I was in Ohio for some training. I was in the middle of nowhere and when I got to my hotel, it wasn’t exactly a 5-star place, but it wasn’t rundown and dangerous looking either. If it had been, I obviously wouldn’t have stayed there. Now that I’m slightly wiser, I realize that being cheap and staying in a $29 hotel is certainly not worth my life.

However, I was still very glad to have my gun with me.

After all, I was in the middle of nowhere and with only a few cars in the parking lot, I didn’t want some criminals to think they had easy picking.

Also, when I was eating breakfast in the morning – completely alone in the breakfast room – the hotel clerk looked completely bored out of his mind. I was glad to know that if boredom finally sent him over the edge, I was carrying concealed and would have a way to protect myself.

Of course, I’m slightly joking, but I truly was glad to have my gun on me, and it got me thinking about all of the folks I know who have a gun for home defense, yet they never take the gun to their other “homes.”

What I mean is…

In most states (check your state law) the same rules apply to defending your home no matter where that is at the moment for you. In other words, deadly force laws apply to the hotel room you are staying in, the log cabin in the woods, the tent, and your mother-in-law’s house.

So from now on, even if you don’t carry concealed often, at least take a gun with you when you’re traveling so you can have it where you’re staying. Just remember to plan your traveling route, as I always do, so you know the state laws of where you’re headed.

By the way, just as I was finishing writing this, I came across the story of a 70-year-old woman who was staying in a hotel in Ohio. When a gunman burst into one of the rooms her family was staying in, she drew her concealed carry gun and shot the intruder. He ended up dying, but none of her family was harmed.

hotel, room, seedy

How to Become a Firearms Instructor

Wayne LaPierre at CPAC 2012

Anonymous
I’ve also stayed in a Newark hotel for business, but I knew better than to take any strolls through the neighborhood after dark. Strangely, Newark was a decent place to live long after most northern cities had become unlivable. However, the 1967 riots, brought about more by political corruption than by racial enmity, broke the camel’s back. Newark is now among the most dangerous cities in the nation. (In fact, nearby Irvington is THE most dangerous city in America. It’s just not large enough to make the lists.)
Unfortunately, New Jersey (though technically “may issue”) is a “doesn’t issue” state, so you can’t bring your gun along. Of course, you could travel through the state with the gun locked in a case in your trunk, but I’m not sure about taking it up to your hotel room.
Ohio, of course, is much more gun friendly.
Fotog4
I too travel quite a bit, and I’m not always sure of the surroundings. I think that if I ever tried to check in, and had to dd it behind bulletproof glass, I would go elsewhere…
blogengeezer
Having been 24-7 deployed financial tech ‘road warrior’ for nearly 40 years, I understand you completely. Dulce NM, room door viciously assaulted after midnight. Door held against numerous kicks while carry revolver was pointed directly at it. Another night, Farmington NM, shadow figure pried open window and slipped in onto the floor.
With carry weapon always with me, now drawn, was able to stay lower than the light from window. and creep to door, carefully opened it and crawled out… backwards, never seeing the dark shape that had slipped in. Motel office called local police, found drunk Indian on floor.
Other ‘road warriors’ not so fortunate. One never found, after car discovered in another state. Another was killed After hijack and his motor home found in another state. Another caught in a bank robbery, had his Cadillac hijacked, he was found alive… later.
Traveling by air, I possessed no weapon during Hartford Conn riots. Survived Armed robbery, only by pre-planned distraction, followed by ‘broken field’ running around trees, while hedge leaping (younger, more physically fit back then).
My carry weapon has saved me on two other occasions, never fired, only ‘presented’ to discourage any further aggression. On both occasions, assailants moved on… to easier Victims.
Gary and Linda Hass (Oklahoma/NM), both CCW certified, not so fortunate. Unaware… against armed Arizona prison escapees. Situational Awareness. Survival, Stay Armed… ‘No matter What govt mandates’.
Vote like Your life depends on it…it does.
cj
Interesting perspective. In my travels, the cheapest hotel asked me, “Smoking or non-smoking”? When I answered ‘non’, I was told that would be $10 extra. I’m fairly sure the other answer would have been the same. The seediness finally sank in and I walked out to somewhere of much better quality.
Other was travelling with friends where we found a coupon for a place in a travel book. We got there, realized we were in a crappy part of town, and fortunately never could find a proprietor to open the door to even discuss a room. Deciding he was probably either passed out drunk, or tied up, in the back, we also finally got the hint and moved on.
Since then, I’ve have a 9mm companion with me, either on my person, or tucked discreetly (yet accessibly) in my travel bag whenever legal.
Now about those rest stops on road trips…
CTH9814696
I COULD HAVE BEEN IN JAIL FOR MANY YEARS. I HAVE ALWAYS TRAVELED WITH MY WEAPON(THEN 38 SNUB NOSE REVOLVER) THIS WAS BACK IN THE FIFTIES. I NEVER DID LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT.NOW THAT I HAVE A PERMIT TO CARRY, I STILL CARRY ALWAYS WHEN I TRAVEL TRYING TO REMEMBER THE STATES REGULATIONS WHERE I MIGHT HAVE TO PUT IT IN THE TRUNK. WHEN WILL WE BE ABLE TO GO TO ANY STATE AND BE RECOGNIZED WITH OUR STATES PERMIT? I USED TO TRAVEL BY AIR AND ALL I HAD TO DO WAS LET THE AIRLINES KNOW. THEY WOULD PLACE MY WEAPON IN THE COCKPIT DURING THE FLIGHT. NOW I TRAVEL ONLY BY CAR TO INSURE I HAVE MY WEAPON WITH ME(45 CAL AUTO W/SMALL FRAME). I AM A VETERAN AND AMERICAN CITIZEN, EVEN THOUGH EACH STATE HAS IT’S RIGHTS. WHY NOT ISSUE A US PERMIT TO CARRY ANYWHERE IN THE US? I HAVE ALSO RAN INTO SOME LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WHO SEE MY PERMIT MAQKE COMMENTSW LIKE: YOU ARE ONE OF THOSE
BELIEVE IT OR NOT I HAVE HAD MORE WEAPON TRAINING THAN MOST OF THEM, BUT IN COMBAT SITUATIONS. OUR VETERANS TODAY ARE BEING HIGHLY TRAINED IN SEVERAL SITUATIONS TO USE WEAPONS. THANK GOD FOR THE STATES THAT ALLOW
PERMITS TO CARRY.
Arc Angel
First, I agree with the author’s point -of-view; I attended college there. Second, I’d like to say that Newark, NJ certainly didn’t used to be that way. The reason I know is because my grandfather was Essex County Sheriff during the 1930’s and 40’s; his office was inside Newark’s City Hall. Yes, I grew up in Newark. In the early 1950’s, when I was only 7 years old, I remember riding the public service buses all the way across town – all by myself – and I was never in any real danger. Back in those days Newark, NJ was a very different city.

Newark started to change during the early 60’s; and while I was going to college there. By 1967 those changes were complete; and, yes, the ’67 riots polarized the various ethnic groups living in and around the Newark suburbs. Thereafter, Newark slide downhill real fast. The Italian families living in Roseville, and the Portuguese families living in the Ironbound section were able to maintain their homes and respective orderly communities well into the 1980’s; but that was, about, the (complete) end of Newark, NJ as a, ‘nice place to live’.

Today, I don’t recognize what’s left of Newark. That great old Bamberger’s department store at Broad and Market Streets is, now, long gone; and, of course, so is Cushman’s Bakery which was right around the corner from Bamberger’s. I prefer not to even go there anymore.

As far as I know there is only one decent restaurant left in the entire city; (The Adega Grill on Ferry Street in the Ironbound Section) and all of those great old Italian bakeries are, now, gone. (Frank Sinatra (Who is originally from Hoboken, right next door.) used to buy his bread at Giordano’s Bakery on Seventh Avenue. When Sinatra moved to Los Angeles, Giordano’s used to air-express fresh bread to him every week.) In the late 70’s and early 80’s my wife and I used to eat regularly at The Seacrest Restaurant on Bloomfield Avenue – Wow, was THAT good Italian seafood! The Seacrest is gone, now, too.

On a guess I’m going to say the author, probably, stayed at that hotel on Market Street across from the Newark railroad station. Yeah, that hotel didn’t start out that way; but, eventually, it turned into a real dump. (The formerly elegant Robert Treat Hotel, just up the street, stood empty for, something like, the last 10 years of its existence.)

I’ve been to Baltimore, too. Things are no different there; except, in only one other American city (Boston) have I ever seen so many prostitutes or so well organized a prostitution trade. It seems that as American morality has died so have America’s oldest and most prestigious cities.

I’d be surprised to learn that the author actually carried a sidearm in Newark, NJ. That would have to make him someone in, either, state or federal government. New Jersey is listed everywhere as a, ‘shall issue’ state. The only thing they leave out is that in order for someone to get a license to carry it has to be snowing in Hell.

I know of only one civilian acquaintance who finally succeeded in forcing New Jersey to issue him a carry permit. The guy was (is) a, ‘mule’ of a human being. It took him almost 3 years, repeated interviews in a number of different venues, a skilled attorney, (maybe 2 skilled attorneys) and a good 10-12 grand before New Jersey officials finally issued him a lousy 2 year license-to-carry. I don’t know if he got a license renewal, thereafter, or not?

So, here I am living in Pennsylvania, the grandson of (perhaps) the most famous lawman in New Jersey state history; (I won’t go into specifics.) and I ended up being forced to make a choice between losing my, ‘black rifles’ or moving out-of-state. So we moved! As far as I’m concerned, ‘things’ (like, ‘black rifles’) aren’t bad. Neither are America’s oldest benchmark cities. It’s the extant populations living in these cities, along with the steadily declining lack of our founding fathers’ Judeo-Christian morality that lies behind all of this twenty-first century social decadence and urban decay.

It’s not about, ‘guns being evil’; instead it’s all about people failing to live up to their highest human potential. Someone has said that Irvington, NJ is the most dangerous (small) city in America? Wow! My family used to go to church in Irvington. I was there, just about, every weekend of my early life. Irvington sure wasn’t dangerous back then. It wasn’t dangerous while I was in college, either.

(I bought my very first Browning shotgun at the old Irvington Sport Shop. I still remember asking the proprietor to show me that gun. Without getting off his butt, he replied, ‘Are you a looker, or a buyer?’ When I said, ‘Buyer’ he immediately got up and handed me the gun.)

In fact, one evening I met renowned actor William Shatner right next door to Irvington at The Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, NJ; I remember him as an unusually engaging conversationalist. I, also, met actor Dan Blocker at a restaurant in Bloomfield, NJ just a few miles up Bloomfield Avenue from the Newark city line. Both of them were impressive men; the sort that nobody might soon forget. (Dan Blocker was one of the biggest, and most obviously powerful, men I’ve ever met!)

This, then, is modern Newark, NJ. What I remember and what the city is, today, are two entirely different realities – I ain’t THAT old; the world seems to be moving very very fast!
- Tom
  I attended and graduated from Rutgers in Newark at night between 1966 and 1972 before it even had a decent parking garage. I had to park on the streets and walk to classes!!!
  After two unpleasant and dangerous encounters walking to my car at night I went from a baseball bat in my car to a 9MM on my person. It is registered but N.J. only allows carry to and from a range or gunsmith. Thanks be to god I never had to use it!
  Criminals by definition break the laws so aren’t affected by them; It’s only decent people who want to do what’s right that are bothered or harmed by such ignorant gun laws.
- Curious
  Hello,
  This question is totally off the subject, but it does have to do with something you mentioned in your message. Are you talking about Seacrest that was jammed packed with seats and Sam was the cook who would many times look out the kitchen window that faced the dining area? Every once in awhile I try to Google and find out what happened to the Seacrest. I honestly can’t recall how my family and I lost touch with the gang there, we frequented there alot also, and many times sat at the family table. I know at one time one of the waitresses went and worked at the Short Hills Hilton, but I wasn’t able to find her. I’d love to have a reunion with them! Maybe my family and I were there many times with your family? [email protected]
rone
Having read a few of your offerings I’ve withheld comment first, because of your youth and second because I know how hard it can be writing something both entertaining and substantive. I would have thought the CIA’s psychological testing and background checks may have been more helpful in allowing you to see a bit further down the road when revealing information that gives such insight into your psychological profile. Several facts are “tells”; You stayed in the seedy room because you were brought up in close proximity to the same environment, if not in the midst of it yourself. You removed two very fine cities from the map because of your inability to prove that cream does rise in every container it is placed and by extension enhance the container. The obverse of these scenarios could also be true in that, you could have been selected to the agency by osmosis, (family in the agency thereby avoiding close scrutiny) Which places you in an elite bracket that kept your personal life from close scrutiny enhancing your tunnel vision, making you a bit clueless, if not downright dangerous. With your narrowed view of the real world, you actually think you are right in your assessment of two great cities as well as your view on life in general. Then again, unlike yourself, I could be totally wrong. Producing articles that don’t ring true, with a childish, ignorant quality, may be just what is needed! The fact that you actually ate the food in that dive speaks volumes and for me, begs the question……….were you an only child or just the only one that survived!
- Bundy
  Spoken like a true pseudo academic. You, my friend, sound like a moron.
  - rone
    Straight from Barracks play book, (S. Alinsky) when intelligent discussion fails you, attack and discredit the opponent, where “you”, are weakest. Deduction is obviously not your strong suit but, I’ll give “you” one more. You were forced to use spell check for pseudo. In your excitement to use your new word, you failed to construct a decent sentence. Don’t mince and flounder, cut to the chase. You are a moron! Was my thought, when I read your poorly constructed sentence. Let’s deduce; I’m not your friend, so that was stupid, although I may in print, appear to be, I don’t sound, so that was stupid. Let’s recap; You are a moron! The cord struck, seems to have rattled more than one loose screw.
    - Sooner_sonic
      Again…pseudo academic. You use semi-colons when a colon is called for….You stop a sentence with an exclamation point, then start over by capitalizing Was. That was moronic. My second grade daughter knows that basic grammar. Finally, you strike a chord, not cord. Idiot. Concise enough?
      - rone
        Very concise! Since composition is not taught in second grade and I doubt that your single digit gene pool could produce children capable of surviving, I could rest my case but, your ignorance is rather humorous! When you exclaim, you place the point, just as I have made mine! Again, you and Barrack have it all figured out. I’ll give you another! You assume to know, where I simply make deductions that may or may not be right. My deductions about you were correct or you would not have replied with such passion. Cord is a case in point. The cord, used previously was alluding to your, “moral or emotional tie” to the subject of not being educated as well as, “you think” you are. Does double entendre ring a bell? The cord struck, once again, was your emotional tie to being right about all things. I am beginning to wonder how, with your mental state now in question, you received a CHL/CWL. This adds to my former assessment that you are truly dangerous.
        I have two suggestions. Get psychological assistance and go to a book store. Your need for help is now apparent to everyone and the book store sells this thing called a dictionary. I just love the way you trap yourself using your superior brain! Watch out for those puns Al Bundy! Chord……..ha ha ha! Please, show us more loose screws!
        
        Since your becoming so predictable, I’ll give you these in advance Al. You cannot trust “your” liberal college professors and their interpretation of when to use capitals. Was that clear enough Al? Don’t rely on spell check and since you refuse to move from the hole your digging……………….I look forward to you showing us how smart you are!
        I must hand it to you…………….you are no pseudo AL BUNDY !
Robnfl
Unfortunately you can’t take your gun to a hotel in MD if you live here. Maryland is a “shall not issue state”. Handguns can only be transported according to the following regulations:
1. Too or from a place of legal purchase or sale or repair shop.
2. Between
such person’s bona fide residences or between his residence and place of
business if the business is operated and substantially owned by that
person.
3. While engaged in or traveling to and from a “target shoot, formal
or informal target practice, sport shooting event, hunting, trapping or dog
obedience training class or show.”
4. By a bona fide gun collector who is
“moving any part or all of his gun collection from place to place for public or
private exhibition,” and while such handguns are actually on exhibition.I can’t wait to move out of Maryland!!
Stevemeyer9825
i agree with this

Navigation