I simply cannot believe the type of disgusting staff that is employed here! My husband and I were sitting in our car after checking out of the inn this afternoon, looking up local lunch spots before the drive home. On the sidewalk in front, there was a young man quietly looking through the inn's recycling bins for cans and plastic (which had actually been rolled to the street side for pickup, so he wasn't even legally trespassing). One of the inn's employees - an older woman who had been watering the grass - ran over to him and started YELLING at him! My husband and I looked at each other in total shock and confusion, considering it was the middle of the day, and the young man was being completely quiet and respectful and away from the inn. The boy looked totally frightened, and tried to nervously explain to her that he was just trying to collect enough cans and bottles to buy something to eat. And she actually started insulting him! Calling him dirty and saying "his kind ruined business", and even threatened to call the police if he didn't leave immediately. We were completely stunned by her cruelty and lack of compassion!! Especially in a supposedly liberal, pro-human rights town like Santa Cruz?? It made us wonder if this entire city is a complete fraud.... As this woman obviously didn't realize two of her patrons were sitting right there witnessing the whole thing!!
As I spent some of my early teen years homeless and on the streets, this was especially heartbreaking to witness. I remember exactly what it's like to have people who have never had to struggle a day in their life totally and completely humiliate you, just because you've been handed terrible circumstances in life. Not only that, this boy wasn't even hassling anyone! Not asking for change from her patrons, or causing a disturbance or anything! Just quietly trying to scrape together a few dollars through desperate means, all too nostalgic for me... I couldn't decide if I wanted to burst into tears, or run back into the inn and scream at this terrible woman!! We even tried to find the boy shortly after, to maybe help him with a few dollars or lunch or anything, but he must have been scared off from the area, because he was no where nearby on any side street :(
Needless to say, I will NOT be returning to this mediocre, evil establishment. And just some business advice for you all: Quiet, polite strangers passing by in front of your inn doesn't "deter business"... it's the terrible, horrible people you employee that do!! read more