The earlier groups taking photos actually got the study in a lot of trouble and they banned just about everything other than an MP3 player from making the trip. No laptops, no phones, no BBs, etc. The computer isn't quite 15 years old, but it is close, with 128MB of RAM and Windows NT4 on it. That was pretty painful. We also were not allowed outside at all. It was pretty cold, but a breath of fresh air would've been nice. I actually stuck my head out the window a couple times for that reason.
The food actually didn't get any better. It was the same as you describe, with bread and corn flakes for breakfast (at 10am) and then lunch as noon and dinner at 7p. Bad fish, beef, pork, etc. were the norm, though the potatoes were always edible to some extent. Oh, and we had to wash our own dishes in the morning if we wanted clean bowls for cereal as the old stuff from the night before was still in the dining area when we showed up for breakfast. That was pretty disgusting.
Travel costs are not covered. There is compensation for the first two days' participation at $75 and $350, respectively.
Interesting that they banned cameras etc. The lady who's pictures I posted was the only one with a camera on our trip. I had my BB and took about 8 pictures with it...I will see if I still have them and post them...
We were not allowed outside either which was very depressing! It would have been nice to walk around those wild flowers or around the building. We too opened the windows and hung our heads out. Speaking of the windows they were pretty cool how they worked...latch one side and they would swing open, latch another side and they would open from the top...
I'm sorry to hear the food did not get any better. I was told they started having it catered...I guess I got bad info...but it was from my mom who works PT for the sleep clinic here in ATL. I am not sure why they did not have better food...they could have spent some more money on better food...the drug company has to have spent LOTS of money on this...supposedly our flight from ATL to France and back cost around $265000 for plane pilots etc plus cost of everything else involved...a couple hundred a day for better food would have been a drop in the bucket
I am pretty sure we were in a GV. The other guy in my group is an airline pilot and thats what he said...interesting having a pilot on a trip like that...learned all about planes and turbulence etc We only had 4 people + travel coordinator...you can see me stretched out on the couch (way back) at some point...I was thinking it would suck if we had a full load...the flight was the best part of the whole trip. Our flight attendant was VERY nice...she made the best food, had snacks, fresh fruit and even made homemade cookies on the way back!!
Speaking of fresh fruit....on night in France for dinner they had a side of grapes...they were brown and mushy!! and they had seeds!! I was messing with the translators (since there was 4 of us and 4 of them; we had 1 on 1 translator to participant) that I could SEE the grapes being grown out the window and I am served brown mushy grapes!!
Programs: AA Plat., Premier Executive United, Silver Elite Cotinental, HH Gold, Marriott Silver, Avis First
Posts: 100
I am sorry but this sounds like a bunch of crap.
I know studys have to be seriously controlled to minimize external factors and avoiding a high percentage of error, but wow. You are basically a lab rat!!!!
Going TO France and not being able to SEE it is awful. How many people would sign up for this study if say they were flying you to a non disclosed place in Africa?! Thats what I thought.
No compensation? If you wait tables for 7 days for 8 hours a day you will make 2500 dollars. Do something else with your spare time. They should really be compensating you about 7-10k dollars.
People who don't think about this usually get sucked into going.
Programs: UA 100,221 , VS Silver, Hilton Diamond , *wood Gold, Marriott Silver, Hertz 5* and PC since 1985
Posts: 5,130
Quote:
Originally Posted by Justin7525
I am sorry but this sounds like a bunch of crap.
I know studys have to be seriously controlled to minimize external factors and avoiding a high percentage of error, but wow. You are basically a lab rat!!!!
Going TO France and not being able to SEE it is awful. How many people would sign up for this study if say they were flying you to a non disclosed place in Africa?! Thats what I thought.
No compensation? If you wait tables for 7 days for 8 hours a day you will make 2500 dollars. Do something else with your spare time. They should really be compensating you about 7-10k dollars.
People who don't think about this usually get sucked into going.
No thanks!
I agree, I can't imagine subjecting myself to this.
I like reading the posts, but I like looking at accidents on the motorway also.
I agree this should be posted in the SPAM forum and not Trip reports. S.P.A.M. takes on a different meaning
Why are you doing it?
__________________
Travel & Geek
Halfway to Evangelist status!
I am sorry but this sounds like a bunch of crap.
I know studys have to be seriously controlled to minimize external factors and avoiding a high percentage of error, but wow. You are basically a lab rat!!!!
Going TO France and not being able to SEE it is awful. How many people would sign up for this study if say they were flying you to a non disclosed place in Africa?! Thats what I thought.
No compensation? If you wait tables for 7 days for 8 hours a day you will make 2500 dollars. Do something else with your spare time. They should really be compensating you about 7-10k dollars.
People who don't think about this usually get sucked into going.
No thanks!
I agree the compensation should be higher ... and it would have been had they not been able to get any volunteers. But they did get volunteers so that is what they paid.
I see folks from our southern neighboring countries sitting in the cold by the local hardware store hoping to get a job paying $150 a day. They welcome the hard labor because that is what is available to them to provide for their families.
Actually 7 days, 8 hours a day on my feet waiting on ungrateful patrons does not sound enticing either, but if that is all you can get, go for it.
I agree, I can't imagine subjecting myself to this.
I like reading the posts, but I like looking at accidents on the motorway also.
I agree this should be posted in the SPAM forum and not Trip reports. S.P.A.M. takes on a different meaning
Why are you doing it?
Moderator: Travel Technology, Travel Photography and JetBlue
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 29,405
Quote:
Originally Posted by Justin7525
I am sorry but this sounds like a bunch of crap.
I know studys have to be seriously controlled to minimize external factors and avoiding a high percentage of error, but wow. You are basically a lab rat!!!!
Going TO France and not being able to SEE it is awful. How many people would sign up for this study if say they were flying you to a non disclosed place in Africa?! Thats what I thought.
No compensation? If you wait tables for 7 days for 8 hours a day you will make 2500 dollars. Do something else with your spare time. They should really be compensating you about 7-10k dollars.
People who don't think about this usually get sucked into going.
No thanks!
I would have gone had it been to Africa. I would have gone just about anywhere. The experience was less than phenomenal overall, but the flight part was fun, and that's really what I was in for. And we were compensated. Not a ton of money, but the check cleared and is paying for the majority of a vacation my wife and I are taking this summer so I'm pretty happy with that. Given the choice of doing this - basically zero stress, very little risk and a great opportunity to meet some folks - rather than working as a waiter for a week is a no brainer for me. I'd do this any day of the week. No, it wasn't a great daily rate on a straight cash basis, but it wasn't horrible at all, even with the bad food.
Quote:
Originally Posted by vcuengnr
This does not look like a pleasurable journey.
It was one.
And the ATL flights were on a G V; the NYC flights were on a G IV. From ATL they needed the additional range that a G V offers to make it to BSL non-stop.
Location: Northern Virginia - IAD is my home airport.
Programs: Alaska MP Gold - United Premier Executive - Starwood Platinum
Posts: 11,375
LOL.... there is nooooo way I would subject myself to prison meals, mystery drugs and being locked up in a cell with electrodes plastered all over my face just to receive $2500 and a couple of private jet rides. Ugh!
__________________ Hotel Deals Forum Moderator - FlyerTalk Member #215 (Original Member)
