Traveling in the Poconos

Picture yourself sitting at a mahagony desk composing an email on a decorated landing at the top of the stair. You can look down over the balcony onto the first floor which is equally decorated. Okay, don't picture yourself, picture me. This is what I was doing at ten thirty last night in my hotel since I didn't feel like lugging my laptop through security for a two day trip up North.

Such a calming and relaxing environment with classical music softly playing in the background. Then, I hear the rushing of heavy feet up the stairs behind me while someone else is running towards me from down the hall. The man on the stairs yells to his companion, "Did you see which way he went?" "No sign of him!" They both part ways rushing off in different directions. "He has to be here! He can't be far!"

I'm trying to pretend that I don't notice but the first guy is wearing a shirt that advertises some sort of enforcement agency. However, since when do police officers wear really poorly screenprinted T-shirts? He comes running back in and asks me if I have seen anyone come through there. I told him a man in a yello shirt had been waiting for the computer. The guy's eyes popped open and he leans over the railing and yells, "Get up here now!" His friend comes racing down the hall towards him. "Did you get see him?" "Yes! He had a yellow shirt, was tall, and had black hair, too! We've got him now! He ran into a room though," was the response.

The next thing I know, I hear a walkie talkie going off downstairs. Two more men join the search. They are running back and forth behind me as I type. Shouting, pulling up table skirts and looking in every other possible nook and crany all the while running everywhere they went. I was sure they had tracked a convicted fellon...

BOUNTY HUNTERS!!


I couldn't believe how cool yet still how crazy this was. Was it safe to be in the middle of this? Two words...hostage situation. I did start to get a little fearful. Thirty minutes of this later, after the front desk attendent has called her supervisor to tell them that these strange men are running all over looking for someone, one of the guys comes up to me.

"I'm sorry if we made you feel uncomfortable."

I almost just dismissed him with a nod yet I was TOO curious. "Oh, that's okay. I was just worried it may not be safe to stay here tonight. I wasn't sure what happened."

He stands there looking completely serious as possible and says, "Well, SOME PEOPLE think that it is OKAY to break into VENDING MACHINES."

I blinked.

I blinked twice.

Vending machines. VENDING MACHINES? Are you kidding me! All that over a VENDING MACHINE? Four grown men running for at least thirty minutes like there is a bomb hidden somewhere for that!

"Really!" I said to him since I had no other words at the moment.

"OH YES!" he responded. "But don't you worry, we'll get him. IT'S NOT OVER YET. WE'LL FIND 'EM."