I guess this uh, "scale" is what I experienced at the Fairmont in San Francisco a couple of days ago. Check out time was 12pm, but we decided to take the red eye back to Atlanta that night and paid for another 1\2 day and extended the checkout time to 5pm. The maid came in around 11am and did the single half-knock followed by a swift opening of the door thing. Thankfully we were dressed. We informered her we'd be leaving at 5, but we'd like our room freshened up a bit while we went to lunch. I left a tip.

The same lady comes bargeing in at 3. No knock this time. My wife explained, again, that we were really going to be there until 5, so no need in coming back. I'm annoyed at this point. 4 o'clock rolls around, and i'm having it out with the airline after being transferred five times since I'm technically going to be flying out the day before my original ticket, and they don't want to change it even after I agree to pay the costs and they tell me there are 40 seats left on the plane In the middle of this, the maid comes in, AGAIN, without so much as a knock She had limited english comprehension, but I think she got the point after that one.