Normally I find the hype about WS service to be wildly overstated, but this is probably one of the better examples I've heard.

It's really a bit of an indictment of AC's bureaucratic mindset... either the AC agents were truly oblivious to the fact that a working telephone is all you need to get food at midnight, or they did not think their superiors would approve the expense. Neither of which reflects positively on AC.