Hilton HHonors - NEWS - Meth lab found in Center City hotel, hundreds evacuated

INQUIRER STAFF

Hundreds of tourists were rousted from a Center City hotel this morning after a dangerous, makeshift methamphetamine lab there set off a fire alarm.

At least 300 guests were evacuated from the Hampton Inn at 1301 Race Street about 5:30 a.m. as Philadelphia firefighters, and then the Police Department's Homeland Security and Terrorism unit, arrived to handle volatile chemicals left behind by a would-be meth maker.


http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/164129116.html

That is some pretty nasty stuff. Does anyone know what they need to do to decontaminate this mess? With this hotel, is it just the room or is it more involved?

I stayed there in April, good hotel for what I wanted.

I guess you really don't know what goes on in the room before you get there.

It's usually just the room. The process depends on how bad the contamination is and what is contaminating it, they will do testing to see what is in there and where it is and make decisions based on that. In many cases, it's easier to just toss any of the fabric surfaces in the room (furniture, bedding), decontaminate the carpeting and hard surfaces, and replace the stuff you tossed.

A bit of a description of what is involved is here

http://www.methlabcleanup.com/theprocess

More importantly, if I get busted for manufacturing narcotics during a night at a hotel, does the "stay" still count for requalification purposes?

More importantly, if I get busted for manufacturing narcotics during a night at a hotel, does the "stay" still count for requalification purposes?

As long as you pay the bill and have personally checked in, it counts, but you may be getting a "stay" of many nights at another sort of lodging institution.

Fire alarm occured because of the meth-lab in that room I understand, probably smoke. What if he would have finished his "work" and left, leaving behind nothing of his tools and ingrediences. The contamination in the carpets, furniture would have been visible, or could be smelled by the hotel´s cleaning staff? Or the next guest at least?

Seems pretty idiotic to me. I assume they took a card imprint when the guest checked in.... Wouldn't it be pretty easy for the cops to track the guy down? (Then again, I suppose it's possible the guest checked in using a fake ID and a compromised card.)

More importantly, if I get busted for manufacturing narcotics during a night at a hotel, does the "stay" still count for requalification purposes?

Yes it would but the points would probably expire way before you got a chance to use them

Seems pretty idiotic to me. I assume they took a card imprint when the guest checked in.... Wouldn't it be pretty easy for the cops to track the guy down? (Then again, I suppose it's possible the guest checked in using a fake ID and a compromised card.)

If they took all their stuff with them nobody would know they were even there. The room could be contaminated (lithium for example is odorless) but could be hazardous for the people using the room later, if the meth lab contaminated the room, but nobody would know it's there. As one story said:

If undetected, the poisonous chemicals in meth can circulate throughout a hotel and can lead to respiratory problems, skin and eye irritation, headaches nausea and dizziness. Short-term exposure to highly concentrated meth can cause severe lung damage and burns to various parts of the body.

Makes you think twice if you have ever been in a room and had a burning thing in your eyes or nose, thinking it was just whatever that magic blue spray is they use to clean the place.